So what's the problem? For every loaf of bread baked, the grain
from the harvested crop is first stored in barns on local farms
or in huge regional grain silos. This is great news for a host
of insects, as there is an ample source of food for them to feed
on and reproduce amongst. This can prove to be a huge problem as
not only do these pests deplete the quality of the grain, but if
insects are found to be contaminating their product, farmers
face having batches rejected by the market which can cost the
farmer anywhere between £3-£20 per tonne. What is this project
doing? An alternative to chemical pesticides are biopesticides
which use fungi as a way of controlling the insects. Using their
experience and expertise of working with fungi, CABI scientists
– along with scientists from the Central Science Laboratory
(CSL), Exosect Ltd and Sylvan Somycel – investigated the
possibility of tackling the problem by developing a new
biopesticide. The current project builds on the results of a
previous project whereby 1