Project description
Biotechnology to manage weeds
Farmers need tools to help them make weed control simpler and more efficient. Biotechnology is key. In this context, the aim of the EU-funded Dust BioSolutions project is the final product development and the industrial production scale-up of a new product for weed control based on a bio-geochemical process. It solidifies permeable materials through microbiologically induced calcium carbonate precipitation. Dust BioSolutions will face the pressing problems of weed resistance, soil erosion and the increased adoption of integrated pest management practices by farmers. The aim is for the project’s non-chemical product to form a valuable addition to the farmers’ toolbox to control weeds and facilitate the adoption of pest management approaches.
Objective
Dust BioSolutions is a Munich-based start-up company that aims to become the “no.1 address for biological binders” worldwide. Its mission is to develop, produce, and sell products that solidify permeable materials to improve sustainability, profitability and innovation of established industries with the help of biotechnology. Dust BioSolutions has developed a proprietary technology platform and patented applications based on a bio-geochemical process called microbiologically induced calcium carbonate precipitation. In 2016, Dust BioSolutions decided to expand its product range on weed prevention and management in the agriculture sector.
BioWeedControl, which comes either in a solid (powder) or in a liquid form has been successfully developed to a TRL6. Dust BioSolutions has collaboration agreements for final product development with different industry partners and currently more than 25 large scale field tests ongoing. Results show that BioWeedControl has comparable performance to most commonly used products, but can also leverage on additional functionalities.
Competition from weeds is one of the major factors reducing crop yield and farmers’ income. This issue is worsened by the growing number of weeds becoming herbicide-resistant. BioWeedControl wants to overcome many disadvantages of currently available products. Dust BioSolutions expects BioWeedControl to become one of the best alternative solutions to weed prevention in the agriculture sector.
Fields of science
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureagronomyplant protection
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryinorganic compounds
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkaline earth metals
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivity
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and management
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
82152 Planegg-Martinsried
Germany
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.