Development of an admixture in grain to control insects is to begin, after technology firm Exosect was granted funding.
The project aims to create a new sustainable method of pest control in stored grain, such as wheat.
The new funding award was granted by the Technology Strategy Board, to develop this biological formulation as an admixture to be specifically applied to grains.
A spokesperson at Exosect said: “There is currently significant insect pest resistance to all the chemistry currently available for stored grain.
“Consumer pressure is focused on the reduction of residues in the food chain and the few remaining active ingredients are under threat of removal, so a sustainable approach to insect pest control in stored grain is required.”
The technology hopes to be available to the market by 2018.
Exosect’s business development director Rob Cannings commented: “This award will help us in our commitment to further develop a much-needed, new form of pest control technology for the commodity storage sector, where the few remaining active ingredients are under threat of removal by the regulatory authorities.”
The company will then license out the technology, where it will then be commercialised by a licence partner.
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