Vancouver's semiosBIO Technologies gets $2.8 million investment from Sustainable Development Technology Canada

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Feb. 15, 2013) - Well, the fruit-eating moths who want to mate won't be happy about it, but fruit eaters and Canada's orchard growers will be, as Vancouver's semiosBIO Technologies received a $2.8 million investment from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) that can reduce the use of chemical pesticides on fruit crops.
 

(USDA-ARS) -- Biopesticides containing beneficial fungi are often grown on grains or other solids, but U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have shown a liquid diet can work better.

The approach, dubbed "liquid culture fermentation," offers several benefits, including lower material costs and increased yields of certain forms of insect-killing fungi, including Isaria or Metarhizium, which can serve as biobased alternatives to synthetic pesticides.

(Penn State University) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – "And don't let the bedbugs bite" is no longer a harmless adage. In reality today, these bloodthirsty bugs infest thousands of homes. According to a team of Penn State entomologists, biopesticides -- naturally occurring microorganisms -- might provide an answer to this pest problem.

Bedbugs need blood meals for growth and development throughout their life cycle. Increased travel, widespread insecticide resistance and changes in management practices have caused a resurgence in those insects throughout North America and Europe. Compounding the problem are concerns about the safety of using traditional chemicals in the domestic environment.

(Fresh Plaza) -- With heightened consumer awareness about what goes into growing their food, pesticides made from biological compounds have become increasingly popular. At last week's PMA Fresh Summit conference, four representatives from the biopesticide industry took time to discuss with Fresh Plaza the role biopesticides currently have in the produce industry and what role they'll play in the future.

The biggest benefit of biopesticides is that they're effective at protecting crops, noted Rick Melnick, manager of global marketing and brand management for Valent Biosciences. They're effective at fighting pests and increasing crop yields, but they achieve that efficacy with added benefits.

Johannesburg — As temperatures soar and droughts increase in frequency, scientists around the world are working to create food crops tolerant of extreme temperatures - often an expensive and laborious process. But a cheaper and quicker alternative could be in sight, new research suggests as reported in the Nov. 7 edition of allAfrica.com.

(PHYS.org) – Almost 500 international experts have worked together to develop a ranking system of the ten most important phytopathogenic fungi on a scientific and economic level. The rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae) sits at the top of the list.

A survey conducted on 495 international researchers resulted in a list contaning the most important phytopathogenic fungi. Each researcher chose three that they thought to be most significant and the most voted then formed the list.

Said list has been published in the journal Molecular Plant Pathology and each one of the species mentioned is analysed by an expert in the field. One of those experts is the Spaniard Antonio Di Pietro from the department of genetics in the University of Cordoba. He describes the fungus Fusarium oxysporum which sits in fifth place on the list.

DAVIS, Calif. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Addressing a record crowd at the University of California, Davis, industry pundit Dr. Roberta Cook told members of the Biopesticide Industry Alliance that produce marketers are entering a new age of accountability with point-of-sale scan data. In her presentation on trends in fresh produce marketing, Cook said that sustainability goals are also becoming a bigger factor in produce buyer-seller negotiations.  DAVIS, Calif. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Addressing a record crowd at the University of California, Davis, industry pundit Dr. Roberta Cook told members of the Biopesticide Industry Alliance that produce marketers are entering a new age of accountability with point-of-sale scan data. In her presentation on trends in fresh produce marketing, Cook said that sustainability goals are also becoming a bigger factor in produce buyer-seller negotiations.

With the help of beneficial bacteria, plants can slam the door when disease pathogens come knocking, University of Delaware researchers have discovered.

A scientific team under the leadership of Harsh Bais, assistant professor of plant and soil sciences in UD's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, found that when pathogens attempt to invade a plant through the tiny open pores in its leaves, a surprising ally comes to the rescue. Soil bacteria at the plant's roots signal the leaf pores to close, thwarting infection.

Because of a single gene mutation on the antenna of a male moth, he is able to receive a female moth’s Hail Mary pheromone pass from end zone-to-end zone even if she were to alter its scent, writes Brett Smith for redOrbit.com.

DAVIS — A University of California, Davis, discovery that male navel orangeworms respond more readily to artificial or "deceitful" female sex pheromones than to natural sex pheromones could lead to a better mating disruption approach, resulting in a reduced larval infestation of California's multibillion almond, pistachio and walnut crops.