Artificial intelligence (AI) is already assisting microbial bioprospecting, by rapidly identifying effective strains and improving the design of targeted biological solutions. By cutting time, cost, and trial-and-error, AI is helping the biologicals industry overcome long-standing challenges and drive the next wave of sustainable agricultural innovation.
The world of biologicals encompasses an immense range of living materials, from microbes and metabolites to proteins, peptides, enzymes, and RNAs. Finding the right candidates with beneficial agronomic traits has traditionally been a painstaking process, often compared to searching for a needle in a haystack.
Conventional methods rely heavily on laborious laboratory screening and incremental field testing, both time-consuming and expensive. The integration of AI has dramatically changed this landscape, allowing researchers to rapidly analyse vast biological, chemical, and genomic datasets. In doing so, they can not only identify promising bioactive compounds but also predict how well these will perform under real-world farming conditions.
The adoption of AI in biologicals development has sparked a wave of collaborations between multinational crop science companies and specialist AI firms over the past two years. Notable examples include Syngenta’s partnerships with TraitSeq and Ginkgo Bioworks, and Corteva Agriscience’s collaboration with Symbiomics.
Rafael de Souza, CEO of Symbiomics, explains that the development of biological products has traditionally relied on microbiology and bench-based methods. “The main limitation of these approaches is that they focus on a few isolated characteristics, which often do not translate to real performance in the field. It is very common to find microorganisms that look extremely efficient in the lab but fail to deliver under field conditions. This happens because the interaction between plants and microbes is highly complex and influenced by multiple factors that cannot be fully captured through a few assays.”
Rafael de Souza, CEO, Symbiomics
AI-driven data analysis is changing this dynamic. By processing large volumes of data derived from extensive microbial collections, researchers can now identify promising microbial candidates for further development far more efficiently than through traditional manual screening.
One example is a plant nutrition product currently in field testing, where Symbiomics was able to design the microbial combination five times faster than traditional methodologies would have allowed, and with far greater precision. De Souza says that in the first field trial, the product achieved a 100 percent success rate with results superior to the market reference. “This level of performance reflects the strength of a pipeline built on mass data analysis.”
Syngenta’s collaborative work focuses on using AI to integrate microbial genomic data with plant trait information, enabling more precise predictions of microbial functions. Jerome Cassayre, Syngenta’s head of biologicals research, says that by leveraging AI-powered models on large datasets, researchers can better understand how microbes influence plant physiology, stress tolerance, and productivity. “This approach has the potential to guide and accelerate the discovery of novel microbial solutions for agricultural use.”
Jerome Cassayre, Syngenta’s head of biologicals research
AI also helps to significantly reduce traditional trial-and-error cycles by optimising ingredient combinations and forecasting their performance
across diverse crops and environments. Deeya Burman, associate director of strategic marketing at Ginkgo Bioworks, explains that when screening biological candidates in the greenhouse, digital phenotyping systems capture rich 3D spatial data of the plants as well as environmental variables like cloud cover and temperature. “AI models then help us extract plant health metrics that account for changes in exogenous variables to provide consistent results and power better and more data-driven decisions.”
Deeya Burman, associate director of strategic marketing at Ginkgo Bioworks
Layering technology Taking the use of AI one step further, researchers have begun combining the technology with gene editing to create a new generation of tailor-made solutions.
Burman explains that the agronomic benefits of microbial strains stem from the active ingredients they produce and secrete, such as biochemicals, peptides, and enzymes, and their ability to associate with crops and persist near roots or on leaves.
“The genetic pathways, also called biosynthetic gene clusters, for producing these active ingredients or plant-associative characteristics are complex. Some genetic elements encode the molecular mechanisms that produce active ingredients, while others regulate whether or not to make these mechanisms at all. To explore the impact of all possible changes to gene expression in a microbe would be an onerously time-consuming and expensive task.”
This makes genetic engineering a prime target for AI, which can help predict the phenotypic changes that might result from modifications to specific genetic pathways. “By utilising these AI models, researchers can identify DNA modifications that enhance the performance of microbial strains that are already demonstrating some agronomic benefit,” Burman says.
Without such models, researchers must painstakingly test a wide variety of genetic changes to learn which improve microbial performance. AI models can integrate both published and newly generated data to efficiently identify relationships between genetic changes and desired phenotypes. This ability to process vast datasets and derive insights computationally is accelerating the development of biologicals.
Symbiomics is also leveraging gene editing in its research. The company sequences microbial genomes and feeds the data into machine learning (ML) models to uncover genes and molecular pathways linked to beneficial traits such as plant nutrition, stress resilience, or biocontrol activity.
“With genome editing tools, we are able to reprogram the genome of microorganisms to enhance specific traits,” de Souza explains. “This allows for the improvement of key characteristics that can increase product performance and consistency in the field. ML and AI are an essential part of this process, used to analyse genomic data and identify candidate genes and metabolic pathways that could serve as targets for editing. By combining predictive analytics with genome editing, we can focus on the most relevant genetic features, accelerate discovery, and increase the likelihood of developing disruptive biological solutions.”
Solutions on the horizon With insight generation rapidly speeding up, researchers have already made significant progress in pinpointing effective microbial strains and determining how to apply them to specific crops. Product development is well underway, and commercialisationis expected in the near future.
Syngenta is currently building data collection platforms that will be used by AI tools to generate correlations between the chemical composition of various biological active ingredients and plant responses. This will enable the identification of promising biological traits and guide
future applications in crop growth, stress resilience, and nutrient use efficiency.
Ginkgo Bioworks has used AI tools to search through more than 350,000 strains in its microbial library, identifying thousands of beneficial gene clusters. Crucially, AI models helped to filter out candidates containing clusters for biochemicals that are toxic to humans, marine life, pollinators, and other beneficial organisms.
After screening these thousands of candidates in vitro and in the greenhouse, Ginkgo Bioworks has identified nine with statistically significant efficacy at low doses, with product rollout imminent. “One of our customers advanced three of these leads to field trials and plans to soft launch the best-performing candidate next year. AI-enabled research and development accelerated time to market for a potent biocontrol product from more than four years to around two years. Using AI tools to nominate strains based on their genetics increased the likelihood of identifying a powerful yet safe candidate for a biocontrol product,” says Burman.
Symbiomics' current focus areas include plant nutrition, drought tolerance, and crop protection. De Souza says that while their pipeline is designed to generate a variety of biological products, they prioritise areas where the company can deliver true innovation. “In all of our products, our goal is to achieve a significant level of differentiation by applying new technologies that go beyond what is currently available in the market.”
While Symbiomics cannot yet disclose specific details, as products are still under development and involve strategic partnerships, de Souza notes that products currently in field trials have shown performance significantly superior to commercial benchmarks. They expect to have products ready for commercialisation as early as the 2026-27 growing season.
Enhancing performance and trust The higher quality and efficacy that AI is expected to bring to the biologicals space bodes well for improving farmer trust. One of the biggest challenges the industry faces in increasing market uptake is varying success rates that depend on environmental conditions, as well as storage and handling. With more
robust trials that take into account a wider range of variables, future biologicals are likely to deliver more consistent results.
Cassayre says that these technologies enable researchers to understand and predict how biologicals perform under different environmental conditions, which will provide more information to farmers to help them make more informed decisions about their use. “This scientific approach builds trust through consistent results and clear performance data, which in turn drives broader adoption. Better data leads to improved products, which increases farmer trust, driving further adoption and data collection.”
Burman adds that while the first generation of biologicals often included products that were less consistent or more expensive per dose than their chemical counterparts, the next generation is driven by rigorous science to reach parity with chemistry in cost-in-use and efficacy.
“Over the last few decades, the cost of generating genomic data has fallen exponentially. Furthermore, AI tools built on this data empower scientists to design biologicals with specific properties, such as nitrogen fixation or the ability to suppress fungal pathogens.
“Further downstream, because scientists now have a better understanding of the active ingredients and the conditions that trigger microbes to produce them, fermentation and formulation specialists can ensure products contain consistent amounts of actives per dose. Shelf life and stability will also improve, increasing the likelihood that growers receive reliable, high-performing products,” Burman explains.
Another major benefit of AI-driven analysis is the ability to tailor biologicals to specific regions or climates. Cassayre notes that AI can forecast product performance across different crops and environments, paving the way for more localised and precise agricultural applications. “We can now work towards tailoring biological solutions to local conditions and even individual farms, moving biologicals towards a localised precision agriculture model.”
Burman adds that the combination of geographic information system (GIS) data and AI will likely play a critical role in this transformation. “These tools could detect the onset of disease or abiotic stress earlier or warn of pests that have developed resistance to conventional chemistry. Growers may be able to harness this information to precisely deploy biologicals in areas where they’ll provide the greatest benefit.”
Each key step in the discovery and development of biologicals now stands to benefit from AI. As computational tools merge with gene editing, digital phenotyping, and precision agriculture, they will continue to refine how biologicals are discovered, tested, and commercialised. The ability to predict microbial behaviour, design more stable and effective formulations, and tailor products to local environments marks a turning point in agricultural innovation. By bridging biology and computation, AI is helping biologicals move from experimental to dependable, setting the stage for a new generation of crop solutions that are effective, scalable, and aligned with global goals for sustainable food production. ●
AI is significantly reducing traditional trial-and-error cycles by optimising ingredient combinations for biological products and forecasting their performance across diverse crops and environments. Photo: Syngenta
Syngenta’s collaborative work focuses on using AI to integrate microbial genomic data with plant trait information, enabling more precise predictions of microbial functions.
Photo: Syngenta
This makes genetic engineering a prime target for AI, which can help predict the phenotypic changes that might result from modifications to specific genetic pathways.
By using AI technology, Symbiomics has been able to design a microbial combination five times faster than traditional methodologies would have allowed, and with far greater precision.
Photo: Symbiomics
First however, in the view of Ernenwein Cédric, the global scientific and technical manager (R&D biocontrol & adjuvants) at Rovensa Next, we should make a distinction. He and others define adjuvants to be products added by the grower prior to application, while substances added by product-makers to provide long-term stability and other benefits are called ‘co-formulants’ – and the two can have fundamentally-different chemistries. He explains further that “adjuvants, which are often highly concentrated in surfactants and/or oils, are used to improve deposition, retention and uptake.” This addresses the fact that up to 90 percent of an applied product can be lost, he notes, to drift, poor leaf adhesion, low foliage penetration or leaching.
Ernenwein Cédric, the global scientificand technical manager(R&D biocontrol & adjuvants)at Rovensa Next
We also must distinguish adjuvants for biocontrol products and for biostimulants, says Dr. Martin Bauer, who leads global marketing for crop solutions at Clariant International. Each function and category of biologicals (microbials, metabolites, botanicals etc.) will have specific requirements for adjuvants that provide them with increased bioefficacy, viability, rainfastnessor coverage.
Dr. Martin Bauer, leads global marketingfor crop solutions atClariant International
According to Dr. Minshad Ansari, CEO and founder of Bionema Group, there are six practical adjuvant categories for biologicals (microbials or microbes). These are humectants, wetters/spreaders (non-ionic and biosurfactants),
stickers/retention aids, penetrants (often plant-derived oils/esters), deposition/drift control agents, and compatibility/buffer systems. But no matter the category, “microbial-compatible adjuvants must preserve viability and function and avoid harsh solvents, quats and extremes of pH/osmolarity,” he says, “while improving coverage and microclimate on the leaf orsoil surface.”
Jumping to biostimulants, Eduardo Pereira, business director of Agri Biopolymers at Borregaard, explains that adjuvants for these products focus on uptake/transport, pH and water conditioning, and compatibility with nutrients. However, Bauer also notes that a large number of biosimulants, including seaweed extracts, humic acid and protein hydrolysates, are often applied without adjuvants.
Pereira lastly points out that there can be overlap in the purpose/function of adjuvants. That is, an adjuvant (or a co-formulant for that matter) used in relation to a microbial product, for example, might have both crop protection and biostimulant properties.
Progress so far Bauer and others point to a simple reason why there have been so many advancements in creating effective adjuvants for biological products over the last decade or so: there has been tremendous growth in biologicals themselves. This has made R&D of adjuvants specifically dedicated to biologicals economically viable. Cédric adds in turn that the adjuvants-for-biocontrol market has been driven by increasing concerns over the environmental and health impacts of synthetic products, with strong
associated government efforts to promote sustainable agriculture.
At the same time, Pereira points out that the development of adjuvants for biocontrol has echoed the development of adjuvants for synthetic pesticides – it’s all about optimising the efficacy of the spray application. “One of the big challenges with bio-based crop protection, especially the part based on microbials, has been poor shelf-life of the formulation, in-can and also in-field after the product has been applied,” he says. Therefore, there has been a very strong focus on expanding the adjuvant toolbox for biological formulations inrecent years.”
Cédric also notes that the great advances in recent years in formulation technology, especially with the growing availability of
bio-based ingredients, has been a driver in the development of bio-based adjuvants. “For example, the expansion of the biocontrol and biostimulant markets has opened access to bio-surfactants that were previously limited to niche applications,” he says. “This rising demand, driven by the need for higher volumes and lower costs, has encouraged industry players to invest in large-scale fermentation. Sophorolipids, which can be produced using waste cooking oil, are a good example of this trend. They offer safer profiles and a lower environmental footprint.” Looking forward, he says formulators can now expect similar developments with other key ingredients such as functional polymers, dispersing agents and preservatives, many of which are not yet fully bio-sourced or readily available.
Main current challenges Of course, although development of adjuvants-for-bioproducts is going well, there are still challenges to overcome. “From an economic perspective, the fragmented market for bio-based products compared to the conventional crop protection market is a major hurdle,” says Bauer. “Another point is that there is no universal adjuvant solution; the understanding of the product requirements and needs is key to allow the development of these solutions alongside the new evolving biologicals technologies. This awareness represents a bigstep forward.”
There’s also a challenge, says Bauer, on the regulatory side. Adjuvants for biologicals often need to comply with organic standards and meet increasingly stringent environmental and toxicological requirements,
he explains, adding another layer of development complexity.
In Pereira’s mind, establishing optimal formulation strategies and identifying active ingredients that deliver reliable efficacy is a primary challenge. “These issues place increasing emphasis on generating robust data to confirm both the physicochemical compatibility and the biological performance of adjuvants,” he says.
Similarly, Ansari lists the hardest problems to be compatibility and consistency – protecting microbial cells or metabolites across water qualities, temperatures and complex tank mixes without foaming or phytotoxicity.
He adds that for natural materials, batch-to-batch consistency and regulatory classification (adjuvant vs. co-formulant, differing by region) also matter.
Cédric adds, that in ensuring the compatibility and viability of living microorganisms used in biofungicides, bioinsecticides and bionematicides, “on one hand, the goal is to keep these organisms in a dormant and stable state within the formulation, while preventing contamination from unwanted strains. On the other hand, once applied, the product must activate quickly, reach its target effectively, and deliver a long-lasting effect. Achieving this balance is difficult, especially under natural field conditions where environmental factors are not always favourable.” Encapsulation technologies can help, he says but they are not always suitable when high concentrations and rapid activation are required. Adjuvants developed specifically for living micro-organisms are therefore a good choice to both enhanceand protect.
The new world to come The future is bright for adjuvants-for-bioproducts, just as it is for bioproducts themselves, due to the growing trend of greater sustainability in agriculture. In circular fashion, bioproduct growth will drive innovation and availability of specialized adjuvant solutions, says Bauer, allowing biologicals to be even wider adopted in integrated crop management practices. Cédric agrees, noting that “as the range of available bioproducts for farmers increases, achieving both efficacy and profitability will require the use of more specialized adjuvants.”
He also points out that growth in adjuvants will be supported by the shift toward low-volume, high-precision crop production product delivery systems, including drone-based spraying. “In this context, adjuvants play a critical role in ensuring targeted deposition, minimizing drift and evaporation losses,” he says, “enhancing active ingredient performance under reduced water volumes.”
Cédric also expects the coming release of many bioherbicides over the next decade to drive adjuvant growth. There will be a need with these products, he says, for both efficient bio-based co-formulants and adjuvants to ensure robust performance under field conditions. Lastly, he lists another exciting development in biocontrol technology to be the rise of dsRNA-based pesticides and believes “their success will depend heavily on effective vectorization strategies, where adjuvants will play a key role in delivery and stability.”
Also delving into specifics, Pereira expects a steady increase in the interest and need for adjuvants that can help improving products and solutions that address soil health, abiotic stress and nutrient use efficiency. In addition, in his view, adjuvants that help extend the shelf-life of biocontrol products/formulations will be further developed and specialised.
Ansari expects that in the near future we will see the emergence of purpose-built ‘bio-adjuvants’ with verified microbe-safety labels. “We should also watch for more co-formulation (adjuvant embedded in the biological), better drift/rain solutions for low-rate actives, and clearer regulatory guidance,”he says.
He also believes that more products for microbes will emerge. That is, while petrochemical surfactants and silicone adjuvants are still common, biobased options – fatty-acid esters, lecithins, saponins, and true biosurfactants – are growing because they’re gentler to microbes, align with organic standards and reduce environmental load.
“The trend is clearly toward high-performance, biobased adjuvants designed around biologicals rather than borrowed from chemistry,”
Ansari states. “Plant-derived, carbon-based adjuvants (fatty-acid esters, oils and biosurfactants, for example) interact more ‘biologically’ with leaf waxes and microbial membranes. They reduce surface tension, soften the cuticle micro-environment for better passage of lipophilic and amphiphilic actives, and can retain humidity around cells. Compared with silicones or strong solvents, they’re generally less denaturing to microbes and kinder on formulations.” ●
New adjuvant breakthroughs: A quick round-up
Borregaard has launched a natural adjuvant that protects living organisms from UV light in field applications.
Bionema Group has launched a ~92% biobased carbon product with a blend of fatty-acid esters that enhances adhesion, rainfastness and cuticular permeability.
Rovensa Next: New adjuvants are being developed for biocontrol products, and an adjuvant that greatly increases copper retainment on leaves is being readied for launch. The latter addresses the issue of rain-induced copper leaching in fungicides used in organic farming.
Clariant: A high-throughput screening methodology has been developed to test the biocompatibility of its adjuvants, greatly speeding up its product development process.
Dr. Minshad Ansari, CEO and founder of Bionema Group
Eduardo Pereira, business director of Agri Biopolymers at Borregaard,
Leaf coverage (Synergen Guard 100). Photo: Clariant
Lettuce cultivated with and without Synergen Soil.
Photo: Clariant
A new study led by CABI has found that involving farmers early in biological control initiatives leads to more positive attitudes and stronger adoption of sustainable pest management practices.
Published in African Entomology, the research tracked how farmers’ understanding and use of biological control evolved during the initial release of the parasitic wasp Acerophagus papayae – a natural enemy of the papaya mealybug – in Kenya’s coastal counties of Kilifi, Kwale, and Mombasa.
The papaya mealybug, which invaded East Africa between 2015 and 2020, causes crop losses of up to 91 percent and household income losses exceeding £2,200 per hectare annually. While half of affected farmers still rely on chemical pesticides, biological control offers an environmentally safer and cost-effective alternative.
Over two years of surveys, CABI researchers observed a 12 percent increase in awareness of biological control methods. Farmers also reported improved perceptions of biological control in terms of effectiveness, affordability, and contribution to higher yields.
A comparison of treatment and control farms revealed tangible business benefits: treatment farms recorded an average of 196 kg more papaya production and US$94 less income loss than control farms during the study period.
The study also identified gender-based differences in perception. Male farmers were generally more optimistic about biological control benefits, though women’s positive perceptions grew significantly over time.
For example, the percentage of women viewing biological control as effective rose from 29 percent to 37 percent between 2021 and 2022, while men’s confidence increased from 35 percent to 55 percent. Women, however, were more likely to view biological control as labour-intensive – highlighting the importance of gender-responsive farmer education.
“The findings from this study highlight the need for continued awareness raising and gender responsive farmer education on the use and benefits of biological control, and how to reduce the use of chemical pesticides,” said Kate Constantine, project scientist at CABI and the study’s lead author.
Policy endorsement and next steps Following the study, Kenya’s Standing Technical Committee on Imports and Exports (KSTCIE) has approved the widespread use of A. papayae against papaya mealybug across all papaya-growing regions.
CABI worked in collaboration with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), and the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) to assess the wasp’s performance as part of Kenya’s integrated pest management (IPM) strategy.
The wasp has already proven effective in controlling papaya mealybug populations in countries such as Ghana, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, underscoring its potential for large-scale impact in Kenya.
“Through the continued engagement with farmers affected by papaya mealybug, their biological control knowledge and capacity will be strengthened. As such, biological control of papaya mealybug using A. papayae could provide a much-anticipated example of the value of biological control and the importance of engaging with farmers,” added Constantine. ●
The parasitic wasp Acerophagus papayae. Photo: CABI
Study finds positive change in farmers’ perception of biocontrol following engagement in early stages of biological control initiative.
Photo: CABI
Bernard Blum was a French entomologist, who worked across several industry giants such as Ciba-Geigy, which became Novartis and Syngenta. He was the founding president of the International Biocontrol Manufacturers’ Association (IBMA) in 1995.
From New AG International records, an initial meeting for the IBMA was held in early 1995, and a second meeting took place on 14 September in Paris. At this meeting, the IBMA was created, with 15 companies present. Bernard Blum was appointed as first president. The first AGM was held in Brighton, UK, on 23 November 1995 where four professional groups were established.
By the time of the first Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) in 2006, The IBMA had grown to about 100 members from 21 countries and the five continents. These companies were manufacturers of biological control agents, producers of beneficial macro-organisms (insects or nematodes), micro-organisms, semio-chemicals or natural products.
“IBMA was created in 1995 in order to represent the views of these biological control producers, which are mostly small companies with limited resources. Our members also include associated organisations such as formulators, packaging companies, as well as distributors and consultants. In addition, public or private organisations, actively contributing to the development of biocontrol are accepted as members,” Bernard Blum told New AG International back in 2006.
Inception of awards “When Bernard passed away on 13 August 2014, we fully supported the creation of the Bernard Blum award, which I discussed at length with Willem Ravensberg, then president of IBMA,” said Jean-Pierre Leymonie, founder and former MD of New AG International.
“He asked me to be on the stage to present the award with him, which I did three consecutive years,” said Leymonie.
The winner of the inaugural award was Vestaron, which the company received for its Spear product line (GS-omega/kappa-Hxtx-Hv1a), a series of bioinsecticides derived from spider peptides with activity on lepidoptera and coleoptera. The award continues to be a certificate and, obviously, the recognition that comes with it. New AG International provided the prize element.
The winner of the inaugural award in 2015 was Vestaron, for its Spear product line. Jean-Pierre Leymonie, founder and former MD of New AG International (right) presented the award to Dr. Robert Kennedy, CEO of Vestaron (centre), in presence of Willem Ravensberg, president of IBMA (left). The prize included four full-page adverts in the printed magazine and an interview.
In the beginning, the first prize included four full-page adverts in the printed magazine and an interview in New AG International. New AG International still provides a prize – the advert element is in its digital issue, and the interview is conducted by 2BMonthly, which is co-produced with DunhamTrimmer.
“IBMA is very grateful to New AG International for our 10-year partnership on the Bernard Blum award. IBMA founder Bernard Blum worked closely with New AG, and it was very apt that when IBMA started the award in 2015 in honour of Bernard Blum, it was alongside New AG. We look forward to the next 10 years together,” said Jennifer Lewis, IBMA executive director, for the New AG Yearbook.
Judging panel and format The awards were judged by an independent panel, usually a team of four, with each member scoring under given categories, such as scientific merit, element of innovation, and contribution to sustainable agriculture.
“I was in many ways very privileged to coordinate the Bernard Blum Award from its inception until 2023. During that time, it has been great to see the increased interest in the award given the numbers that are now applying and the quality of entries,” Dr. Owen Jones, a former president of IBMA and director of Lisk & Jones Consultants, told New AG International.
There were 13 entries for the inaugural award in 2015.
“Our assessments of entries are all done independently in the first instance and then combined to arrive at the finalists and the winners. The similarity of results from individual judges has always impressed me and it has been a relatively painless process to arrive at our final conclusions and placements,” explained Jones. “Bearing in mind that entries may come from companies with very different biocontrol products and the judges also coming from very different disciplines and backgrounds; it is remarkable that there is still a very high degree of unanimity of opinion.”
The awards have evolved over the 10 years. In 2021, an additional award was added: “Best innovative product of biocontrol assisting the uptake of biocontrol”.
Bioline Agrosciences took the inaugural award for its T-Booster, a technique for high-speed spreading of trichogram capsules.
“The new award in 2021 for ‘aiding adoption of biocontrol’ was introduced because we felt that there were great innovations being made of that sort which were not being acknowledged but which have a profound effect on the uses of biocontrol products in practice; and indeed, the entries received since 2021 have shown that,” Jones told New AG International.
The increase in the number of submissions shows the enduring popularity of the awards. In 2022, David Cary from IBMA said in his opening remarks at the award ceremony at ABIM, that the judging panel had received the most entries (19) where in the past the usual range is 12-15. In 2025, IBMA said it had received over 20 entries.
“I have had winners come to me after the event to say ‘you cannot imagine what this means for our company’ and said with a great deal of emotion,” added Jones.
Dr. Owen Jones (left) presenting award to Biobee Sde Eliyahu Ltd in 2021. Credit: M. Loisson
2025 winner Biofungicide Axpera by Amoéba scooped the top spot on the 10th anniversary of the award. When receiving the gold award, Amoéba’s CEO Jean-Francois Doucet said the product has a dual mechanism to combat mildew and powdery mildew – it blocks the germination of spores and stimulates the plant’s defense system. Doucet said the product was also compatible with copper and sulphur, conventional crop protection products commonly used by wine growers.
The active substance is the lysate of Willaertia magna C2c Maky, a non-pathogenic amoeba found in the thermal waters of Aix-Les-Bains in France. Amoéba gained its approval
from the EU authorities for the active substance in June 2025.
The winner of the silver award was Valent BioScience for a broad spectrum nematicide, OutReach SC, with the bronze going to IPL Biologicals for product Bellator multifunctional fungal and bacterial consortia against plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs).
Platypus won the award for ‘Best innovative product assisting the uptake of biocontrol’ with a gel-based delivery system.
Winners’ rostrum Looking back at previous winners shows the range of innovation.
In 2024, Toltek, manufactured by Certis Biologicals in the U.S. and distributed by Certis Belchim in Europe, took the top prize. Toltek is the first biocontrol product for take-all disease, which affects grass and cereal crops. When receiving the award on behalf of Certis Belchim, Jan Mostert said that the active ingredient in Toltek is a microbial Bacillus amyloliquefaciens D747 and “it is not easy to make it survive as a seed treatment.”
Winners have ranged across the spectrum of commercial crops.
In 2023, the award went to a product that fights bacterial disease fire blight which impacts apple and pear trees. The PEA-02 product developed by DCM had an active ingredient that was a mixture of bacteriophages, which are viruses that kill bacteria.
“The mode of action of bacteriophages is innovative as it combines a curative, bactericidal action with a very high specificity and thus a very low impact on the environment and the microbiome.
The bacteriophages enter their genetic material in the bacterial host cells, in which the bacteriophages are replicated, assembled and released again,” DCM told 2BMonthly in an interview, which was part of the prize.
The winner of the 2019 Bernard Blum award went to Tutavir from Andermatt Biocontrol. The product contains Phthorimaea operculella granulovirus (PhopGV) for selective control of Tuta absoluta, tomato leafminer, which is a major insect pest affecting tomato production.
Table 1 Table of winners of the Bernard Blum Awards
New categories The awards have recognised new categories in biocontrol. In 2022, the gold award went to a product – Pronemite – that was the first arthropod effective against disease.
Biobest’s commercial mite Pronematus ubiquitus can simultaneously target a key pest, russet mite, as well as fungal disease powdery mildew.
Felix Wackers, Biobest R&D Director: “Pronemite is representative of a new family of beneficial mites; it’s the first effective biocontrol solution for russet mite control; the first commercialised fungal disease control using a mite; and uniquely the first commercialised biological control organism shown to simultaneously control a key pest and a problem pathogen in a protected crop. As such, it represents a whole new category of biocontrol.”
Before receiving the award, Wackers said that Pronemite could be used preventatively by building up large populations of the arthropod using a feed supplement.
Joint winners On one occasion, the Bernard Blum has had joint winners. It was in 2020, itself an exceptional year with the global pandemic. The joint winners from a shortlist of four, were Biobest for Eupeodes System - larvae of hoverfly Eupeodes corollae for aphid control; and E-nema with Dianem – an entomopathogenic nematode H. bacteriophora to control larvae of western corn rootworm. ●
2025 winners of the Bernard Blum awards
