The CABI BioProtection Portal is a free tool to discover natural, registered biocontrol and biopesticides around the world.
Due to climate change and the effects of pesticides, environmentally friendly pest control has become attractive.
The CABI BioProtection Portal has reached one million visits to the biological control and biopesticide resource hub.
From consumers to farmers, synthetic pest control can pose a severe threat.
One of the challenges to the widespread use of biopesticides remains the dearth of information regarding products that are already available in the market. This free web-based resource which is accessible via smart phones, tablets and desktops will go a long way towards addressing this challenge, hence promote the registration, commercialisation and use of biopesticides by growers.
The CABI BioProtection Portal is a great endeavor that confronts three main issues in adopting biological control practices. Firstly, recommendations are based on a specific crop. Secondly, the list of options represents the products registered in a respective country for a specific crop and pest, and are thus supported by research, analysis and quality control. Finally, it also contains recommendations related to storage and field application, which is helpful for farmers and personnel who are often familiar with spraying chemicals but not with releasing or applying beneficials. As a researcher of biological control and as a member of the IOBC-NTRS I applaud this initiative and hope it can help the positioning of biological control and sustainable practices as the first options for pest management at a global scale.
Biological control is a fascinating technology with a huge potential for feeding mankind. In fact, biocontrol mechanisms have a larger positive impact on agro-environments than chemical agents. However, often these mechanisms need a better understanding of biology and interspecific interactions and this information is scarce. This portal is of great value because it helps to spread information about biocontrol and will support our attempts to convert current agricultural practices into a more sustainable, safer and greener food production
Recently, new biological products have been coming into the market really quickly. Thus, informing growers how to use those products in a proper way, as well as informing the general public about the benefits of biological control of pests and diseases, is of crucial importance. It will help to speed up the adoption of those biological products as well as increase the market demand for food produced in a more sustainable way with those biological products. Therefore, initiatives such as the “CABI BioProtection Portal”, that put efforts in place to convey precise information to the growers and to the general public is of great importance. The more the growers learn about biological products, the faster they will adopt them in their crops with success.
I have been using CABI BioProtection portal since I was introduced to it. The portal has all the information that I require for training the farmers which has helped me recruit more farmers into organic farming using products from Safi Organics and biopesticides from Real IPM. Unlike in the past where, I and my farmers struggled to know sources of registered biopesticides, the portal contains only the registered biopesticides, including additional information on application rates for different crops and storage. Through the portal, I have built a network of reliable companies selling different biopesticides which is helping my farmers have a wide range of choices of biopesticides to use in their farms.
The portal has supported my work as an agronomist to a great deal. Unlike before where I sometimes postponed an advice to go and get some reference, I am now able to give exact, detailed and prompt response to the farmer with a pest problem in their farms. Unlike before when we used to google for such information and get very abstract information, with the portal you are assured of comprehensive and up to date information to share with the farmers. The portal has given a boost to my work as I have been able to network with suppliers of the biopesticides and exchange information regularly. My farmers have a wide range of choice of solutions based on what the portal provides. I am also able to refer to the portal whenever I see advertised biopesticides in Facebook and other social media to check if they are registered.
The beauty of the CABI BioProtection Portal is that it is a free, web-based tool that enables users to find information about registered biocontrol and biopesticide products around the world and helps them make the right decisions; or to support their customers/stakeholders to make their decisions based on current and reliable information.
It also helps us as a company provide reliable information on our evolving biologicals portfolio to support our market ambitions focused on grower needs and ensure responsible and sustainable use of our products.
We support the CABI BioProtection Portal because it supports the use of eco-friendly products and promotes soil and plant health, as well as sustainable and regenerative practices. It connects growers with local resources and experts, and it provides factual information to help educate and inform those interested in biological solutions to pest problems in production agriculture.
The CABI Academy is an online learning platform for users around the globe. Our courses turn the latest research and innovations into practical, action-based resources and learning activities.We partner with world-leading universities, research organisations, and businesses to ensure the learnings from our courses are the most up-to-date and applicable to real life.
Using natural pest control on your coffee crops – what are the benefits and how do you do it? Our guide takes you through the steps from start to finish to help you start using safer pest control.
Storage, handling, timing and method of application of biological based approaches to pest management can be critical in ensuring efficacy of the product. Here you will find a selection of resources that will support you in maximising the impact of these agents in your production system.
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A more sustainable approach to the management of agricultural and environmental pests is the use of biological control (or biocontrol). Here we briefly explain the definition of biocontrol and the different types of biocontrol methods for managing pest problems.
