12th Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting ABIM Basel, Switzerland, 23 - 25 October 2017

Welcome to ABIM 2017

• Lucius Tamm (ABIM Steering committee): Welcome on behalf of the organising committee.
• Willem Ravensberg (President IBMA).
• IBMA Bernard Blum Award Winner - presented by Owen Jones.
• 2017 Bernard Blum Award Winning presentation.

Pre-Aperitif Keynote Address

Paul Koppert (Koppert Biological Systems):
50 Years as a company in Biocontrol.

Timeslot sponsored by Koppert Biological Systems

Plenary session 1
Chair: Willem Ravensberg, President IBMA

EU Regulatory Issues

• Vlasta Zlof (EPPO: EPPO): Standard for low-risk PPP efficacy.
• Patrizia Pitton (DG Sante): REFIT of 1107/2009 progress to date.
• Ulf Heilig and David Cary (IBMA): IBMA strategy for regulation of biocontrol.
• Patrizia Pitton (DG Sante): Achievements of EU Expert Group for Sustainable Plant Protection.

Session 1 supported byCytozyme

Plenary session 2
Chair: Vittorio Veronelli, Vice-President IBMA

Global Regulatory Issues

• José Carvalho (Knoell Consult): Regional regulatory differences in accounting for advances in biopesticides.
• Baogen Gu (FAO): FAO Implementation of guidelines for biopesticides.
• Jeroen Meeussen (OECD BPSG): Outcome of OECD BPSG seminar.
• Imme Gerke (IDRG): One data package for the whole world.

Session 2 supported by APC
 

Plenary session 3
Chair: tba

Offered Natural and Biochemical Products Professional Group Talks

• Tim Johnson (Marrone Bio Innovations): Grandevo bioinsecticide: EU registration and biological characterisation.
• José Angel Talavera (Seipasa): New strategies for biocontrol.
• Andy Leader (Dow AgroSciences): Inatreq™ Active – a new molecule derived from fermentation.
• Ilaria Pertot (IOBC): New biopesticide characterisation.

Plenary session 4
Chair: Cristina Alfaro, Chair Semio-chemicals PG

Offered Semiochemicals Professional Group Talks

• Christine Pilz (Pessl Instruments): iScout a new multiple trapping device.
• Andrea Iodice (CBC Europe): Isonet T – the key for Tuta control.

Plenary Session 5
Chair: Lieselot van der Veken, Chair Macrobials PG

Offered Macrobials Professional Group Talks

• Tom Groot (Koppert Biological Systems): Improved predatory mite release system. (no slides available)
• Ishtaq Rao (Crop Defenders): Problems, current solutions and future steps towards biological control of pepper weevils. No slides avaibable.
• Christoph Lehnen (Bee Vectoring Technologies): Delivering biologicals to crops using pollinators.
• Sébastien Rousselle (Bioline AgroSciences Ltd): Applied genetics and the future of IBCA selection.
• Felix Wäckers (Biobest Belgium NV): The great outdoors.
• Minshad Ansari (Bionema): Unique 3 component solution for better performance of EPNs for pest control.

Plenary session 6
Chair: Ralf-Udo Ehlers, Treasurer, IBMA

Initiatives Bringing Biological Tools to the Market

• Jürgen Köhl (Wageningen): BIOCOMES project deliverables.
• Krista Coleman (IR4 Initiative): The IR-4 project: Lowering the regulatory hurdles for biopesticides.
• Kristen Sukalac (EBIC): Bringing biostimulants to the market with new regulations.

Plenary Session 7
Chair: David Cary, Executive Director, IBMA

Innovations Influencing Implementation of Biocontrol

• Hubertus Paetow (DLG): Innovation and social transformation for agriculture in 2030.
• Marc Trapman (RIMpro): Optimal timing of the application of biologicals worldwide using advanced models and high resolution virtual weather data.
• Vittorio Veronelli (CBC Europe): Mating disruption 2.0.
• Antoine Bonhomme (Bioline AgroSciences): Applied robotics in biocontrol. Example of Trichogramma in row crops and perspectives for the future.
• Ingeborg Klingen (NIBIO): Smart Crop Project.

Panel Discussion where above speakers will discuss implementing biocontrol and sustainable agriculture on farm,
joined by additional panellists:

• Willem Ravensberg, IBMA
• Jean-Philippe Azoulay, ECPA

Session 7 supported by Janssen PMP

Plenary Session 8
Chair: Matthias von Erffa, Vice-Chair Microbials PG

Microbial Biocontrol Agents Professional Group Talks
The increasing use of microbial pesticides, and developments in the food value chain.

• Andrew Brown (IBMA Microbials Chair): Update on Bacillus food contamination issue.
• Ben Raymond (University of Exeter): A published scientific view of the EFSA opinion on Bacillus.
• David Cary (IBMA Executive Director): Where to from here? 
• Maria Isabel Trillas Gay (Biocontrol Technologies): Communication between plants and Trichoderma spp.
• Birgit Mitter (AIT): Technologies to generate endophyte improved seed.
• Gisela Brand (Andermatt Biocontrol): The use of baculoviruses in IPM strategies.
• Mike Dimock (Certis USA): Lifeguard – A new microbial product.