Assessing the market potential of a novel resistance management framework for fungal biopesticides in the UK glasshouse horticulture

Lead Research Organisation: University of Stirling
Department Name: Biological and Environmental Sciences

Abstract

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Publications

10 25 50
 
Description We commissioned a market survey of the use of fungal biopesticides by the UK (and European) horticulture industry. This was successful and identified the market size for future product development.

We commissioned a survey of the acceptability of horticultural farmers adopting more heterogeneous crop pest control strategies to forestall resistance evolution in pests. This survey was encouraging; it indicated that horticultural farmers were highly aware of the general issue of resistance management and were receptive to the concept of modifying pest control practices to mitigate risks.

We conducted whitefly breeding work to investigate whether genetic variation exists in UK whitefly populations for fungal biopesticide susceptibility which might facilitate resistance evolution in whitefly. Our data suggested that this variation does exist and presents the very real possibility that resistance might evolve to these ecologically sustainable biopesticides, if they continue to be used in current ways.

This work has provided a good evidence base that the novel biopesticide approaches we envisage to combat resistance evolution have a potential market and deserve urgent investment.

The project has facilitated the development of new collaborations in the UK and overseas leading to two pending grant applications. We have secured a NERC PhD studentship to continue the laboratory research work, and have initiated an industry partnership.
Exploitation Route Novel biopesticide deployment strategies and/or products could be developed. We are actively pursuing these.
Sectors Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology

 
Description 21ROMITIGATIONFUND Stirling
Amount £238,000 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/W510713/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2021 
End 03/2022
 
Description Assessing the impacts of tank-mixing on biopesticide efficacy: Enabling the agricultural transition to net-zero through BBSRC's Farm Sustainability Fund
Amount £47,055 (GBP)
Funding ID 91140082 
Organisation Agricultural and Horticulture Development Board 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2021 
End 03/2022
 
Description Landscape heterogeneity as a sustainable management strategy to reduce evolution of resistance and decrease use of pesticides
Amount 3,600,000 kr (SEK)
Funding ID 2021-05466 
Organisation Swedish Research Council 
Sector Public
Country Sweden
Start 01/2022 
End 12/2025
 
Description Sustainable futures for Kenyan crop protection - Internal Stirling University GCRF Spark Grant
Amount £14,803 (GBP)
Organisation University of Stirling 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2019 
End 05/2020
 
Description Sustainable futures for biocontrol-based crop protection (Research Grant, Institutional Sponsorship)
Amount £37,282 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/X511985/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2022 
End 03/2023
 
Description The evolution of pathogen defence in insect hosts: whitefly resistance to biocontrol agents in horticulture
Amount £80,000 (GBP)
Funding ID 2437233 
Organisation Natural Environment Research Council 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2020 
End 03/2024
 
Description Bid for BBSRC-NERC call - Molecules to Landscapes: building interdisciplinary capabilities 
Organisation Fera Science Limited
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Building on our track record build up though these existing grants I have assembled a consortium from across academia and industry to put a bid into the above call. Our bid is titled: REMBIO: Resistance management for the new era of biocontrol-based crop protection.
Collaborator Contribution Partners bring expertise, especially in field trials and IPM specialisms, alongside industry contacts.
Impact This application is multi-disciplinary - it involves parasite biologists, genomics, evolutionary biologists, IPM experts, landscape modellers, and industry. We have produced a grant application which will be submitted March 24th 2022.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Bid for BBSRC-NERC call - Molecules to Landscapes: building interdisciplinary capabilities 
Organisation Forest Research
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Building on our track record build up though these existing grants I have assembled a consortium from across academia and industry to put a bid into the above call. Our bid is titled: REMBIO: Resistance management for the new era of biocontrol-based crop protection.
Collaborator Contribution Partners bring expertise, especially in field trials and IPM specialisms, alongside industry contacts.
Impact This application is multi-disciplinary - it involves parasite biologists, genomics, evolutionary biologists, IPM experts, landscape modellers, and industry. We have produced a grant application which will be submitted March 24th 2022.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Bid for BBSRC-NERC call - Molecules to Landscapes: building interdisciplinary capabilities 
Organisation Harper Adams University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Building on our track record build up though these existing grants I have assembled a consortium from across academia and industry to put a bid into the above call. Our bid is titled: REMBIO: Resistance management for the new era of biocontrol-based crop protection.
Collaborator Contribution Partners bring expertise, especially in field trials and IPM specialisms, alongside industry contacts.
Impact This application is multi-disciplinary - it involves parasite biologists, genomics, evolutionary biologists, IPM experts, landscape modellers, and industry. We have produced a grant application which will be submitted March 24th 2022.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Bid for BBSRC-NERC call - Molecules to Landscapes: building interdisciplinary capabilities 
Organisation James Hutton Institute
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Building on our track record build up though these existing grants I have assembled a consortium from across academia and industry to put a bid into the above call. Our bid is titled: REMBIO: Resistance management for the new era of biocontrol-based crop protection.
Collaborator Contribution Partners bring expertise, especially in field trials and IPM specialisms, alongside industry contacts.
Impact This application is multi-disciplinary - it involves parasite biologists, genomics, evolutionary biologists, IPM experts, landscape modellers, and industry. We have produced a grant application which will be submitted March 24th 2022.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Bid for BBSRC-NERC call - Molecules to Landscapes: building interdisciplinary capabilities 
Organisation Liverpool John Moores University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Building on our track record build up though these existing grants I have assembled a consortium from across academia and industry to put a bid into the above call. Our bid is titled: REMBIO: Resistance management for the new era of biocontrol-based crop protection.
Collaborator Contribution Partners bring expertise, especially in field trials and IPM specialisms, alongside industry contacts.
Impact This application is multi-disciplinary - it involves parasite biologists, genomics, evolutionary biologists, IPM experts, landscape modellers, and industry. We have produced a grant application which will be submitted March 24th 2022.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Bid for BBSRC-NERC call - Molecules to Landscapes: building interdisciplinary capabilities 
Organisation Newcastle University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Building on our track record build up though these existing grants I have assembled a consortium from across academia and industry to put a bid into the above call. Our bid is titled: REMBIO: Resistance management for the new era of biocontrol-based crop protection.
Collaborator Contribution Partners bring expertise, especially in field trials and IPM specialisms, alongside industry contacts.
Impact This application is multi-disciplinary - it involves parasite biologists, genomics, evolutionary biologists, IPM experts, landscape modellers, and industry. We have produced a grant application which will be submitted March 24th 2022.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Bid for BBSRC-NERC call - Molecules to Landscapes: building interdisciplinary capabilities 
Organisation Rothamsted Research
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Building on our track record build up though these existing grants I have assembled a consortium from across academia and industry to put a bid into the above call. Our bid is titled: REMBIO: Resistance management for the new era of biocontrol-based crop protection.
Collaborator Contribution Partners bring expertise, especially in field trials and IPM specialisms, alongside industry contacts.
Impact This application is multi-disciplinary - it involves parasite biologists, genomics, evolutionary biologists, IPM experts, landscape modellers, and industry. We have produced a grant application which will be submitted March 24th 2022.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Bid for BBSRC-NERC call - Molecules to Landscapes: building interdisciplinary capabilities 
Organisation Scotland's Rural College
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Building on our track record build up though these existing grants I have assembled a consortium from across academia and industry to put a bid into the above call. Our bid is titled: REMBIO: Resistance management for the new era of biocontrol-based crop protection.
Collaborator Contribution Partners bring expertise, especially in field trials and IPM specialisms, alongside industry contacts.
Impact This application is multi-disciplinary - it involves parasite biologists, genomics, evolutionary biologists, IPM experts, landscape modellers, and industry. We have produced a grant application which will be submitted March 24th 2022.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Bid for BBSRC-NERC call - Molecules to Landscapes: building interdisciplinary capabilities 
Organisation University of Gothenburg
Country Sweden 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Building on our track record build up though these existing grants I have assembled a consortium from across academia and industry to put a bid into the above call. Our bid is titled: REMBIO: Resistance management for the new era of biocontrol-based crop protection.
Collaborator Contribution Partners bring expertise, especially in field trials and IPM specialisms, alongside industry contacts.
Impact This application is multi-disciplinary - it involves parasite biologists, genomics, evolutionary biologists, IPM experts, landscape modellers, and industry. We have produced a grant application which will be submitted March 24th 2022.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Bid for BBSRC-NERC call - Molecules to Landscapes: building interdisciplinary capabilities 
Organisation Wageningen University & Research
Country Netherlands 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Building on our track record build up though these existing grants I have assembled a consortium from across academia and industry to put a bid into the above call. Our bid is titled: REMBIO: Resistance management for the new era of biocontrol-based crop protection.
Collaborator Contribution Partners bring expertise, especially in field trials and IPM specialisms, alongside industry contacts.
Impact This application is multi-disciplinary - it involves parasite biologists, genomics, evolutionary biologists, IPM experts, landscape modellers, and industry. We have produced a grant application which will be submitted March 24th 2022.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Collaboration with Bioline Agrosciences for whitefly biocontrol research 
Organisation Bioline AgroSciences
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution We are investigating the presence of genetic variation for susceptibility to parasitoid wasp infection (a biocontrol agent) in whitefly (horticultural pest). This work has expanded to include recent AHDB/BBSRC funded work to investigate the impact of tank mixing on biopesticide pest control efficacy. Bioline have continued to provide us with insect material to enable this collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution Our industry partners Bioline have attended collaborative meetings, provided insight and information and are supplying insects for the ongoing research project.
Impact This collaboration, started in 2021, has continued into 2022 and now supports a current AHDB/BBSRC research project as well as a 2022 BBSRC/NERC urgency grant application.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Developing ecologically sustainable biopesticides for cocoa smallholders in Ghana - Partnership with Ghana Cocoa Board for GCRF AgriFood Africa Innovation Awards 
Organisation Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana
Country Ghana 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have partnered with the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, part of the Ghana Cocoa Board - the research wing of this major industrial partner. Ghana Cocoa Board manages the cocoa industry in Ghana. We have held online collaborative meetings and submitted a grant proposal to KTN for a GCRF AgriFood pump priming grant worth ~£40,000. We are still awaiting the outcome, pending GCRF review
Collaborator Contribution CRIG researchers have collaborated with us to share their knowledge of novel pest control interventions for cocoa, which intersect closely with our research activities.
Impact Grant Application. Note that the UKRI ODA cuts meant that this call was cancelled after the submission of proposals and no awards were made.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Exploiting pathogen diversity to develop a next generation of enhanced sustainable biopesticides - Innovate UK grant application 
Organisation Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International
Department CABI Kenya
Country Kenya 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Using the track record I have developed as a result of these recent grants I led development of a consortium to bid for a grant from Innovate UK / GCRF through the Agritech Catalyst Round 10 call. This grant seeks to develop improved horticultural biopesticides for the Kenyan / African market. The grant is worth £999,897 in total FEC. The decision on this application is still awaited. These industry-research links in Kenya will be valuable into the future.
Collaborator Contribution Joint Innovate UK grant application.
Impact Innovate UK / GCRF grant application through the Agritech Catalyst Round 10 call Note that the UKRI ODA cuts meant that this call was cancelled after the submission of proposals and no awards were made.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Exploiting pathogen diversity to develop a next generation of enhanced sustainable biopesticides - Innovate UK grant application 
Organisation Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Using the track record I have developed as a result of these recent grants I led development of a consortium to bid for a grant from Innovate UK / GCRF through the Agritech Catalyst Round 10 call. This grant seeks to develop improved horticultural biopesticides for the Kenyan / African market. The grant is worth £999,897 in total FEC. The decision on this application is still awaited. These industry-research links in Kenya will be valuable into the future.
Collaborator Contribution Joint Innovate UK grant application.
Impact Innovate UK / GCRF grant application through the Agritech Catalyst Round 10 call Note that the UKRI ODA cuts meant that this call was cancelled after the submission of proposals and no awards were made.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Exploiting pathogen diversity to develop a next generation of enhanced sustainable biopesticides - Innovate UK grant application 
Organisation Dudutech
Country Kenya 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Using the track record I have developed as a result of these recent grants I led development of a consortium to bid for a grant from Innovate UK / GCRF through the Agritech Catalyst Round 10 call. This grant seeks to develop improved horticultural biopesticides for the Kenyan / African market. The grant is worth £999,897 in total FEC. The decision on this application is still awaited. These industry-research links in Kenya will be valuable into the future.
Collaborator Contribution Joint Innovate UK grant application.
Impact Innovate UK / GCRF grant application through the Agritech Catalyst Round 10 call Note that the UKRI ODA cuts meant that this call was cancelled after the submission of proposals and no awards were made.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Wageningen - Zurich - Stirling - Sustainable futures for biocontrol 
Organisation ETH Zurich
Country Switzerland 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We held a workshop and other exchange visits to discuss future EU research grant calls.
Collaborator Contribution We held a workshop and other exchange visits to discuss future EU research grant calls.
Impact We have new ideas for further grant funding applications
Start Year 2022
 
Description Wageningen - Zurich - Stirling - Sustainable futures for biocontrol 
Organisation Wageningen University & Research
Country Netherlands 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We held a workshop and other exchange visits to discuss future EU research grant calls.
Collaborator Contribution We held a workshop and other exchange visits to discuss future EU research grant calls.
Impact We have new ideas for further grant funding applications
Start Year 2022
 
Description A conference presentation by Matthew Tinsley: Royal Entomological Society ENTO 23 - Variable diets shape the evolution of insect resistance to pathogens used in biocontrol 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A conference talk at an international conference in the UK.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.royensoc.co.uk/event/ento22/
 
Description A conference presentation by Mia Graham to NERC IAPETUS2 Annual DTP conference: Fungal biopesticide impacts on non-target insects 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact This was the first opportunity to present a data set from work stimulated by work begin during our Pathfinder grant.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Attendance at Tomato Growers Association annual meeting - Warwickshire 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Our research team attended the Tomato Growers Annual meeting to liaise with members of the tomato growing industry and the biocontrol industry. This aimed to raise awareness of resistance management approaches for horticultural biocontrol agents, develop contacts amongst tomato growers for whitefly collections and develop contacts amongst biocontrol companies. This was all successful and this networking created a new collaboration network.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Project coverage in industry magazine - The Commercial Greenhouse Grower 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact After our Pathfinder grant project was featured in the Tomato Growers Association Newsletter, I was contacted by a journalist and an article was subsequently published in 'The Commercial Greenhouse Grower' which described our work and the potential impacts of resistance evolution to biological control agents in glasshouse pests. This raised awareness in the sector of this potential industry problem and the work we were doing to develop solutions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Project coverage in industry newsletter - The Tomato Growers' Association Newsletter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact We contacted the Tomato Growers' Association to engage directly with the industry our research wishes to serve. We did this to raise awareness and to request whitefly samples from growers - this was successful and we made good contacts by being featured in the TGA newsletter.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Stakeholder engagement visit to Brazil 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact We visited Brazil to communicate the results of our research to a range of industry (and other) stakeholders. We held meetings with companies making biocontrol products, with farm companies and with policy practitioners. We gave talks to present our research findings and we held discussion meetings to brief organisations on the risks of pest resistance to biocontrol agents, and to discuss future opportunities for collaborative work.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023