Welcome to ABIM 2015

• Lucius Tamm (ABIM Steering committee): Welcome on behalf of the organising committee.
• Willem Ravensberg (President IBMA): ABIM's 10^th and IBMA's 20^th Anniversary address.
• IBMA Bernard Blum Award Winner to be represented by Owen Jones (judging panel chair)
• Award Winning presentation

Pre-Aperitif Keynote Address Timeslot sponsored by VALENT BIOSCIENCES Corporation

• Dr. ir. L. P. (Luuk) van Duijn (Director Ctgb): Sustainable Agriculture in Europe - Activities of an EU Member State including The Green Deal - a green initiative and activities during the EU Presidency.

Anniversary toast to ABIM and IBMA

Aperitif sponsored by DE SANGOSSE

Plenary session 1: (Chair: David Cary)

Biocontrol – what is the impact?

• Rio Praaning (PA Europe): How can the biocontrol industry convey that it is a key player for agriculture of the future?
• Luc Peeters (Bel Orta): What do farmers see the biocontrol industry adding to their business?
• Norbert Fuchsbauer (HIPP): What does a food manufacturer see biocontrol adding to food and what are the key issues?
• Lucius Tamm (FiBL): After 10 years what are the changes good and bad for biocontrol and ABIM?
• Wyn Grant (Warwick University): Progression in professional and political stance of the biocontrol industry over the years.

Plenary session 2: (Chair: Willem Ravensberg)

Regulatory Issues

• Ulf Heilig (IBMA): What I have seen in 10 years in regulation of biocontrol.
• Wolfgang Reinert (DG Sante): The low-risk substances and products – where now.
• Jeroen Meeussen (EU Minor Uses Co-ordination Facility): EU Minor Uses a place for biocontrol solutions.
• Hong Chen (TSG): China - New regulations for biocontrol in China and the impact for the biocontrol industry.
• Claudio Mereu (Fieldfisher): What approaches are available for applicants if approval processes go wrong?

Plenary session 3: (Chair: Antoine Bonhomme)

Biocontrol solutions of microbial origin

• Vinh Pham (AgBiome): Discovery of Novel Biocontrol Products from the Soil Microbiome.
• Monika Schmoll (AIT): Trichoderma as biocontrol agents.
• Susan Turner (Bio Consortia): Advanced Microbial Selection: Identification of trait transforming microbial consortia.
• Jae Su Kim (Chonbuk National University): Biological control of thrips using entomopathogenic Beauveria bassiana granules.
• Michael Gusefski (BASF): Important considerations when using biologicals in a crop protection programme.
• Thomas Riedel (Lonza): Large scale fermentation services for the Biocontrol Industry.
• Wolfgang Vogt (Sourcon Padena): Development of Proradix, inspired by the growers. (no slides available)
• Robert Kennedy (Vestaron): New SPEAR™ line of Biopesticide Products.

Plenary session 4: (Chair: David Bernad)

Biocontrol solutions of Natural and Biochemical Product and Semiochemicals origin

• Gilles Chevallier (Bayer CropScience): An integrated approach to control sucking pests in fruit and vegetables with Reqium a biological insecticide.
• Yigal Gezundhait (BotanoCap): Microencapsulation formulations of essential oils and their uses in novel post harvest solutions and fresh cut.
• Frédéric Giraud (Staphyt): GUSTAVE – GUS Technology to Analyse and Validate plant Elicitors.
• Matej Štefančič (Trapview Slovenia): Automated monitoring systems focused on pest flies and European Corn Borer.

Plenary session 5: (Chair: Lieselot van den Veken)

Microbials

• Tom Groot (Koppert Biological Systems): New possibilities with old natural enemies.
• Lieselot van der Veken (Biobest Belgium NV): Aphid biological control.

Sponsored Pre-Aperitif Keynote Address sponsored by Koppert Biological Systems

• Bill Dunham (2BMonthly): Evolution & Future of Biocontrol Industry.

Plenary Session 6: (Chair: Vittorio Veronelli)

Biocontrol as a business - Biocontrol as a business – the large, medium and small sized players

• Denis Troalen or Warren Shafer (SCAE / Valent Biosciences): A large company in Biocontrol for a long time expanding their involvement.
• Prem Warrior (Valagro): A Nutrition and Biostimulant Company expanding into Biocontrol.
• Paul Koppert and René Koppert (Koppert Biological Systems): Koppert - a large Biocontrol multi-national family company.
• Ashish Malik (Bayer CropScience): A long term PPP multi-national expanding into BCAs from a chemical base.
• Daniel Zingg (Andermatt Biocontrol): An ambitiously expanding BCA company.

Plenary Session 7: (Chair:David Cary)

Biocontrol as a business – the small players BB Award winner and big and small companies

• Christina Donat (bio-ferm): bio-ferm – a small player sponsoring and participating in many committees and events.
• Frank Volk (Biofa): A long term participating small company questioning some of the recent developments of the industry.
• Massimo Benuzzi (CBC Europe): A business consolidated from biocontrol companies: Biological first: Why?
• Roma Gwynn (Rationale): A small regulatory and strategy consultant within the industry that works for both large and small companies.
• Discussion and debate.

Plenary Session 8: (Chair: Ralf-Udo Ehlers)

Hot biocontrol issues and lessons learned

• Rio Praaning (PA international): Direction setting talk.
• Philip Kessler (Andermatt Biocontrol): Overcoming baculovirus resistance.
• Garry Pease (Entotek Bio Consulting): Mass trapping should it be included within scope of biopesticide regulations.
• Roma Gwynn (Rationale): Boundaries of PPP registrations and grey areas for biopesticides.
• David Cary (IBMA): Lessons learned from the Harmonia case.