Brazil expands biological control in agriculture through SPARCBio research

Sao Paulo [Brazil], October 1 (ANI): Brazil is expanding the use of biological control technologies in agriculture, with the Advanced Research Center on Biological Control (SPARCBio) in Piracicaba developing solutions aimed at managing pests and diseases in tropical farming.
The centre, supported by the University of São Paulo’s Luiz de Queiroz School of Agriculture (ESALQ/USP), the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and biological control company Koppert, focuses on developing biological agents, new products and knowledge for Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
SPARCBio Director Professor José Roberto Postali Parra said Brazil’s agricultural conditions require biological-control technologies adapted to its tropical climate, large open fields and multiple cropping cycles. He said the country has developed its own scientific base instead of directly replicating models used in temperate regions.
According to Parra, 2013 marked a turning point for biological control in Brazil following the emergence of Helicoverpa armigera. Biological agents, including specific viruses and Trichogramma pretiosum, were used to address the pest, contributing to wider adoption of bio-inputs.
The Brazilian biological-control market is currently growing faster than the global market, according to researchers at SPARCBio. The centre has also attracted international interest, particularly for the large-scale deployment of biological solutions in open-field agriculture, as per reports by Brasil 247.
One example is the use of Trichogramma galloi wasps to parasitise pest eggs. Researchers said releases are expected across millions of hectares, with drones being used to distribute the biological agents.
Scientists at SPARCBio stressed that biological control is not intended to replace chemical pesticides but to form part of an Integrated Pest Management approach.
Research is also expanding into livestock and poultry, including biological methods to control Salmonella and other agricultural challenges.
The centre is developing artificial diets, climate-controlled systems, automation and artificial intelligence tools to reduce production costs and scale up biological solutions. Researchers are also studying applications against major pests affecting crops such as soybeans and cotton, as Brazil seeks to strengthen sustainable technologies for tropical agriculture. (ANI)