Advancing Biocontrol In Australian Agriculture: Opportunities and Regulatory Pathways

Abstract

Australia’s agrifood sector is under growing pressure to adapt crop protection systems in response to resistance, residue requirements and rising expectations for sustainability. Biological control products — spanning microbials, metabolites, RNA-based approaches and endosymbiont technologies — are advancing internationally and offer opportunities to complement Australia’s crop protection toolkit. However, their successful adoption requires addressing several regulatory, technical, market and behavioural barriers. Workshop 1 of the Pathways to Biocontrol series brought together more than 57 participants from industry, research, RDCs, growers and government agencies to map these barriers and establish a shared foundation for future system improvements. Show more