A new initiative aims to assist biopesticide companies with everything product assessment to market development.
Platform10, a multiyear international collaboration led by Western Growers and New Zealand-based Wharf42, will also help the companies bolster grower confidence and stimulate market adoption to fill the demand for bio-based and novel pest control solutions. Platform10 stands to address gaps in pest management, which is seen as crucial for equipping growers to tackle challenges effectively.
This innovative model for assessing and advancing biopesticides and bio-based pest control tools intends to enhance grower understanding and confidence in the use of biological products. It involves rigorous efficacy standards, encompassing factors like knockdown, crop protection, and yield enhancement.
Furthermore, it considers impacts on non-target organisms, soil health, the potential to replace conventional chemical pesticides, and appropriate application rates and patterns. The program collaborates with product companies to design protocols that assess product performance within an integrated, ecologically sound farming system.
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Field trials will be supervised by an independent third party, collaborating closely with the technical team from the product company. The inaugural field trial initiative will be administered from the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology in Salinas, California.
Biopesticide product companies catering to high-priority targets are encouraged to apply for participation in Platform10. Applications for the inaugural Platform Field Trials cohort will be accepted until Monday, November 20th. The first selected participants in the Platform10 program will be unveiled at the Organic Growers Summit in Monterey on November 30th.
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