There are 3 options for applying biosecurity on beets: crop camouflage, wild flower stripes, and the use of vegetable oils.
Camouflage (camouflage crops) is part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system to protect beets from aphids, which BBRO is developing with support from the UK Government's Department of Food and Agriculture, reports Financial Times.
Bands of cruciferous plants (radishes and rapeseed) are planted next to beet crops to scare away hungry pests. This biosecurity option is not only the simplest, but also very beautiful.
To attract natural predators, strips of wild flowers are also planted next to the beetroot field. Beneficial insects are natural predators of aphids, such as ladybugs and lacewing larvae, capable of eating 300 aphids a week.
Another option for biosecurity is the use of vegetable oils. Garlic, peppermint, and lavender oils are sprayed on beetroot plants to repel aphids.
After initial testing this year, the comprehensive protection program will be fully operational in 2023.
While BBRO works locally to protect one crop, Cabi (formerly the International Center for Agriculture and Biosciences) has a large program of work to evaluate and implement biological alternatives to chemical pest control in different crops around the world. It is an international non-profit organization based in the UK and funded by governments and development agencies around the world. Methods range from the introduction of living things - usually insects or microorganisms - that feed on herbivorous pests, to the use of biological molecules (as opposed to synthetic chemicals) that kill or repel pests.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global crop protection chemicals market is projected to grow from $59,4 billion in 2021 to $81,7 billion in 2028, at a compound annual growth rate of 4,66%. Analysts at industry firm Dunham Trimmer say the biocontrol sector is growing at 15-18% a year but will not reach $10 billion until 2025, when it will account for 10% of the total crop protection market. Maximizing the use of biopesticides requires much better information about local weather conditions, soil analysis, and crop monitoring than is the case with chemical alternatives. But Cabi has developed a digital tool, the BioProtection Portal, to help with this.