Encoate | SpK

SpK

SpK is a bio-insecticide based on the bacterium Yersinia entomophaga. The whole organism, toxic metabolites and identified genes all display insecticidal properties when injested by susceptible insect pests. The level of this insecticidal activity compares favourably with commercial bio-rational products.

SpK:

Is at least as efficacious as Bt, but against a broader spectrum of insect pests,
Will be commercially competitive with Bt
May be more persistent on insect food surfaces after application
Being yet undeveloped, has substantial potential for future optimisation in a development process
At least as the whole organism, qualifies as a suitable component of ‘organic’ insect control regimes.
Has no detected mammalian or environmental toxicity concerns that might prejudice product registrations
Is not difficult, complicated or expensive to produce by fermentation and may be formulated into dry preparations for packaging, storage and distribution under reasonable ambient conditions. These dry formulations are conveniently dispersed in water for spray or similar application onto surfaces of pest insect food.

In addition:

SpK is currently being tested for insecticidal activity on diamond back moth larvae that are resistant to Bt, spinosad or a pyrethroid insecticide. It is expected that SpK will display no cross-resistance to any of these insecticide groups. Therefore SpK can be expected to a valuable tool in resistance prevention or management programmes that involve these insecticides. SPK may complement, replace or compete with other insecticides depending on biological and commercial considerations.

EnCoate™ has proprietary formulation technology involving biopolymers that enhance the shelf life of microbe-based formulations at ambient temperature, among other benefits. A comparative efficacy study of a biopolymer gel formulation and a simple broth formulation of Y. entomophaga against diamond back moth show the EnCoate™ gel formulation to be greatly superior. Following are the relevant conclusions from this study.

A gel formulation extended leaf persistence over a basic broth culture spray, while also providing higher initial deposition rates.
Insect mortality on SpK gel-sprayed leaves was correspondingly higher and the toxic activity of the bacterium was preserved for longer than the broth spray.
A gel formulation can also serve as a vehicle for inclusion of other formulation additives that may further prolong the residual activity of SpK.
EnCoate’s proprietary formulation techniques are likely to be highly effective in this regard