Decades of sprays have not beaten thrips, Australian growers tell UK biocontrol company

Bionema, whose formulation technology lifted thrips control from 58% to 97.5% in UK trials, is seeking Australian growers and partners for local field evaluations

SWANSEA, UK, 26 October 2026: Australian vineyard and apple growers say decades of chemical insecticides and fungicides have not solved their most damaging pest and disease problems, according to UK biocontrol company Bionema, which has just completed a market visit to New South Wales under the Innovate UK Global Incubator Programme, delivered with Farmers2Founders.

Meeting growers, agronomists and industry representatives in the region and at Australian National Field Days in Orange, Bionema Founder and CEO Dr Minshad Ansari heard the same problems repeatedly: western flower thrips, woolly aphid in apple orchards, caterpillars and powdery mildew. Most growers use only one or two biological products, and resistance to chemical options is a growing concern.

Bionema develops biological crop protection products and the formulation technologies that make them perform in the field, and its evidence speaks directly to the thrips problem.

Its Incapsulex® microencapsulation technology protects living biological agents from sunlight, heat and drying. In UK commercial strawberry trials, an Incapsulex®-formulated biological treatment achieved 97.5% control of western flower thrips, compared with 58% for the same biological active without the formulation.

Its Adhesulex™ range of delivery adjuvants (Permeate®, Boost-Bio® and Soil-Jet®) is designed to improve how crop inputs reach, spread and remain at the intended target. In testing, Soil-Jet® applied at 75% of normal irrigation performed close to full irrigation under the tested conditions, which matters for Australian growers managing water costs and availability.

“Growers here have relied on chemical insecticides and fungicides for decades, and thrips, woolly aphid and powdery mildew are still their biggest problems,” said Dr Ansari. “They are not asking to hear about new technology. They want to see it work on their own farms, and several have offered to host trials.

“Our evidence shows that how a biological is formulated can be the difference between 58% and 97.5% control. That is what we now want to prove under Australian conditions. For growers supplying export markets, effective biologicals also help manage residue risk and protect market access. Ultimately, growers need technologies that put more money in their pockets.”

Bionema is now seeking Australian commercial growers to host field evaluations, distributors and crop protection companies to take suitable products to market, and strategic partners for licensing and registration of its wider pipeline of biological insecticides, molluscicides and herbicides. Dr Ansari returns to Australia in February 2027.

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