Barriers to the Use of Entomopathogenic Nematodes as Biocontrol Agents: South Africa as a Case Study

Barriers in using nematode biocontrol agents

Abstract

Pesticides are synonymous with conventional agriculture, however in recent years, synthetic pesticides
have been scrutinised for environmental and human health-related toxicity. Biopesticides are a sustainable
alternative, with biopesticide technology promising to meet the market halfway by means of maintaining
the current agricultural economic structure, using input technologies, but sustainably, to promote
biodiversity and healthy ecosystem functioning. Biopesticides, which have the potential to mitigate the
impact of ecosystem collapse from intense agriculture and climate change, have received heavy investment
for product development. However, multiple barriers to biopesticide commercialisation are preventing
their widespread use in viticulture and other South African agricultural industries. A literature review
has established that the barriers can be simplified into three main categories: regulatory, commercial,
and educational. This review seeks to understand the barriers and why, after many years of research and
development and considerable investment, the South African biopesticide market is still only a fraction
of the size of the synthetic product market. Global research is considered, as the issue is not a solely
South African one, and multiple countries are facing similar barriers to achieving biopesticide commercial
success. Moreover, this review provides the context as to why, after almost 20 years of research and product
development, a locally produced entomopathogenic nematode biopesticide product is still unavailable to
South African growers, despite the high demand for such a product.