Contact: Charmayne Marsh (c_marsh@acs.org)
Michael Bernstein (m_bernstein@acs.org)
215-418-2407 (Philadelphia, Aug. 17-21)
202-872-4400 (Washington, D.C.)
American Chemical Society
A new biopesticide for the organic food boom
Powdery mildew on cucumber (left) disappears when treated with Marrone Organic's new pesticide, MOI-106.
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PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 21, 2008 — With the boom in consumption of
organic foods creating a pressing need for natural insecticides and
herbicides that can be used on crops certified as "organic,"
biopesticide pioneer Pam G. Marrone, Ph.D., is reporting development of
a new "green" pesticide obtained from an extract of the giant knotweed
in a report scheduled for presentation here today at the 236th national
meeting of the American Chemical Society.
That 12-foot-high
Goliath, named for the jointed swollen nodes on its stem, invaded the
U.S. from Japan years ago and grows along the East Coast and other
areas. "The product is safe to humans, animals, and the environment,"
says Marrone, founder and CEO of Marrone Organic Innovations Inc., in
Davis, Calif.
The new biopesticide has active compounds that
alert plant defenses to combat a range of diseases, including powdery
mildew, gray mold and bacterial blight that affect fruits, vegetables,
and ornamentals. The product will be available this October for
conventional growers, according to Marja Koivunen, Ph.D., director of
research and development for Marrone Organic Innovations. A new
formulation has also been developed for organic farmers and will be
available in 2009.
In one of the presentations by Marrone
Organic Innovations (MOI), the progress toward discovery of an "organic
Roundup" — the Holy Grail of biopesticide research — an environmentally
friendly and natural version of the world's most widely used herbicide
was discussed.
Biopesticides are derived from plants,
microbes, or other natural materials and are proven to be safer for
humans and the environment. The active ingredient in one of the
company's first products, GreenMatch EX, came from lemongrass oil, and
microorganisms from around the world are studied in the search for
novel and effective natural pesticides. Currently, the MOI R&D team
is working on an organic rice herbicide based on an extract from a
marine microorganism, as well as on insecticides and nematocides to
kill insect pests and soil-inhabiting, parasitic roundworms that affect
plants and animals.
Although sales of synthetic pesticides
dominate the $30 billion pesticide market, the use of biopesticides is
increasing. Officials from MOI estimate that global sales will hit $1
billion by 2010 and grow 10 percent a year on average. Biopesticides
could make up 4.25 percent of the global pesticide business in 2010, up
from 2.5 percent in 2005. As they become more popular, synthetic
pesticides are expected to shrink by 1.5 percent each year over the
same period.
What accounts for the changing numbers? Public
awareness, Koivunen said. "I think the time is right, there's more
demand," she said. "People are becoming more aware of the negative
effects of conventional pesticides. At the same time, growers are more
willing to switch. They have more choices and incentive compared to 10
years ago."
All organic farmers must have markets for their
food — markets that might not have been available to them a decade ago,
Koivunen said. Why are people switching to organic food? "I think there
has been enough scientific evidence that there's a difference between,
let's say, conventional tomatoes and organic tomatoes in terms of
pesticide residues but also improved taste and higher levels of
antioxidants," she said.
Koivunen adds that the growing
popularity of biopesticides and organic foods is not a fluke. In fact,
it is part of a much larger development.
"I think it's a
combination of the movement of green chemistry, trying to protect the
environment and people's thoughts about their own health — maybe not
even their health but their kids; and grandkids' health."
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leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its
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Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
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