Project description
Innovative solution to protect grains from pests
As insect pests can cause spoilage, extensive post-harvest losses and consequently financial losses, plant protection products (PPP) are widely used in the storage of grain. In the EU, however, increased insecticide resistance creates an urgent demand for targeted solutions against insect development at all stages, especially the larval stage. The EU-funded novIGRain project will develop a new type of PPP for larvicide treatment combined with versatile dual application technology. Research will confirm that the use of the new larvicide active substance and formulation as a grain storage PPP is in line with EU regulations. With the novel grain protection insecticide and application technology, the project will effectively prevent and lessen insecticide resistance in the EU, offering a product of improved safety for consumers' health and the environment.
Objective
Within the novIGRain project the aim is to start from a scientific resistance assessment and develop a new type of Plant Protection Product (PPP) for larvicide treatment in combination with a versatile application technology. It has to be researched whether or not this larvicide active substance – that is assumed to be applied in ultra-low volumes (ULV) – is in line with the overall legal framework so that it can be used as grain storage Grain Production Product. The benefits of this new product are multiple, but most important are: (i) it will broaden the available active substance spectra in the field of PPPs, which is important for the prevention of the development of increased insecticide resistance in the EU, (ii) as it is a larvicide, it has a unique mode of action and allows precise targeting of insect development stages, (iii) it has improved health safety characteristics, which is important for the product users and grain consumers, (iv) as it has less hazardous residues (v) the product is highly effective, (vi) it would represent economic benefits for the EU, as there are lower export restrictions given the product’s characteristics.
The new application technology will aim to allow the combination of multiple PPP’s (larvicides simultaneously with adulticides) which is expected to not only have a positive impact on the risk of resistance development, but will also lower the amount of adulticides required for proper management, which results in less human and environmental exposure and cost savings. The combination of the larvicide and adulticides will be tested (field trials), which will provide the up-to-date information on the area of use for integration in IPM systems. Once the tools, product and technology have been developed, a detailed impact assessment will be performed, in combination with several stakeholders’ interaction and demonstration activities, which assure the broad dissemination of the project results.
Fields of science
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
Belgium