TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL ASPECTS OF BIOCONTROL PRODUCTS

The global agrochemical market in 1991 was $26800 million, yet biologi cal products were reported to account for only $120 million of sales p er annum-less than 0.5% of the total. The majority of these sales are attributed to bio-insecticides of which Bacillus thuringiensis account s for over 90%, but B. thuringiensis could be described as a biologica lly produced insecticide, rather than a true biocontrol agent. Biologi cal products have technical limitations, including extreme specificity , sensitivity to environmental factors and problems with robustness of the formulations, but ironically, it is these limitations which also give biological control an image of environmental acceptability. Nonet heless, some of the limitations will be overcome and sales will increa se, but primarily in niche situations such as the control of soil-born e diseases and the control of insect pests showing resistance to agroc hemicals. In order for significant inroads to be made into such niche markets it is imperative that progress with biological products is not impaired by over-regulation, and a rational approach by all regulator y bodies is required. Overall, though, agrochemicals are likely to con tinue to be the major method of crop protection for the foreseeable fu ture, and the biological control field now needs clear, well-defined g oals if current successful niche products can be the basis for future success rather than a limited experiment in alternative technology.