Back to Company SearchSBIR-STTR-Success: ISCA Technologies
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Company
Portfolio Data
ISCA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
UEI: K8UCJMA9VW39
Number of Employees: 30
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
SBIR/STTR Involvement
Year of first award: 2000
51
Phase I Awards
31
Phase II Awards
60.78%
Conversion Rate
$5,068,226
Phase I Dollars
$21,619,848
Phase II Dollars
$26,688,074
Total Awarded
Success Stories
See what our company has achieved through SBIR/STTR funding.
Awards
Semiochemical Control of the Diamondback Moth for the Crucifer Growers
Amount: $125,000 Topic: 8.12
2023 USDA/NIFA SBIR Phase I: Semiochemical Control of the Diamondback Moth for the Small Crucifer GrowerCompany: ISCA Technologies Inc. PI: Agenor Mafra-Neto PhDField 7 Project Summary/AbstractThis project will develop novel control solutions for a key crucifer pest diamondback moth(DBM) Plutella xylostella. ISCA will develop two DBM control strategies:Acttra Plutella alure containing a blend of crucifer plant extracts to draw adult moths to traps for a pesticide-freemass trapping strategy; and Acttra Plutella A&K (attract-and-kill) a sprayable formulationblending Acttra Plutella with small amounts of killing agents designed for application to or amongcrops. Crucifer crops which have an estimated US market of >$1 billion are attacked by multipleinsect pests but the most widespread and impactful of these is DBM which attacks nearly allcrucifer crops including broccoli kale cabbage Brussels sprouts canola rapeseed and mustards.Worldwide DBM has an estimated impact of US$4-5 billion including crop damage and controlcosts. Acttra Plutella mass trapping and A&K strategies will be of great value for organicproduction systems where broad-spectrum pesticides cannot be used; and in conventional cruciferproduction where DBM's capacity for resistance has undermined the efficacy of pesticide sprays.DBM resistance has been reported to nearly 100 insecticide active ingredients (AIs) includingorganophosphates benzoylureas avermectins pyrethroids carbamates spinosyns and diamides.Preliminary field trials in Mexican kale farms showed that traps baited with a prototype ActtraPlutella blend captured high numbers of DBM and an A&K prototype containing the same cruciferextracts attracted and killed large numbers of DBM moths. Trials with Africanized honeybees inBrazil demonstrated that the formulation had no attractancy to the bees indicating that applicationsof Acttra Plutella in crop fields would do no harm to pollinator populations. Phase I research anddevelopment on Acttra Plutella and Acttra Plutella A&K will build on these successes byoptimizing the Acttra Plutella lure determining optimal trap placement and density and assessingits impact when blended with insecticide as an A&K technique. Phase I will consist of five tasks:1) dose response trials to evaluate the effects of sequential dilutions of the original formulation onDBM trap capture and A&K efficacy; 2) field studies with the best-performing formulation fromTask 1 to assess the comparative efficacy of mass trapping using different trap densities in thefield; 3) A&K trials assessing Acttra Plutella A&K's impact on DBM populations and cropdamage; 4) rain simulation trials to assess Acttra Plutella's persistence under rainfall; and 5)stakeholder involvement in problem identification and implementation of results. Phase II studieswill focus on further optimization of Acttra Plutella using mass trapping and A&K techniquestailoring the former to the needs of organic growers while the latter product will be marketed toconventional growers empowering reliable production of brassicas with reduced reliance onconventional pesticides. Acttra Plutella A&K will also be designed to be blended with toxicantsusing multiple distinct modes of action minimizing the risk of resistance.Successful development of Acttra Plutella and Acttra Plutella A&K will bring effective andsustainable pest management technologies to the market and will help to reduce the need forpesticide use in crucifer production and consequently decrease the health and environmental risksassociated with overuse of these toxic chemicals. The US and international market for ISCA'sActtra Plutella technologies are large as DBM is recognized as the most damaging crucifer pestin the world and has developed resistance to virtually all pesticides used to control it creatingenormous opportunities for alternative
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2023
USDA
Long Lasting Organic Semiochemical Formulation to Effectively Manage Blood Sucking Diptera.
Amount: $3,000,000 Topic: NIAID
Project Summary: SPLAT BAC Plus is a unique controlled-release larvicide designed to suppress populations of multiple species of mosquitoes, such as those that transmit malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus (WNV). This CRP proposal seeks to establish SPLAT BAC Plus as an effective, economically viable control strategy for use in integrated vector management (IVM) programs and for control of nuisance mosquitoes around the globe. SPLAT BAC Plus has several advantages over previous larvicides: 1) It contains a combination of larvicidal agents with different modes of action: Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), B. sphaericus (Bsp) [recently renamed Lysinibacillus sphaericus]—two bacteria that destroy the gut of mosquitoes that ingest them—and an insect growth regulator (IGR), such as methoprene or pyriproxyfen, that prevents larvae from developing into adults. This combination drastically reduces the risk of resistance compared to single-action larvicides. While there are products on the market combining Bti and Bsp, the inclusion of an IGR in SPLAT BAC Plus will further inhibit the development of resistance and greatly extend the field life of the larvicide. 2) SPLAT BAC Plus includes components that promote larval attraction and feeding on the formulation—intensifying their exposure to the Bti, Bsp, and IGR contained within it—and oviposition attractants (attractants for egg-laying females). As point sources of SPLAT BAC Plus float at the surface of treated water, these attractants are released into the air, enticing female mosquitoes to lay their eggs preferentially at that site. 3) SPLAT BAC Plus can be applied to potential larval habitats under dry conditions ahead of rainfall, a major advantage over most larvicides, which must be applied shortly after these sites fill with water to catch mosquito larvae at a susceptible stage. 4) Following application, SPLAT BAC Plus cures and becomes rainfast, becoming activated when the surfaces are submerged for a few days, detaching and floating to the water's surface and releasing its attractants. After this point, SPLAT BAC Plus remains buoyant and effective for up to 5 months, considerably longer than the 1–2 week-field life associated with older Bti/Bsp larvicides. 5) SPLAT BAC Plus contains environmentally safe larvicides and semiochemical attractants incorporated in an inert matrix composed of food-safe ingredients. To achieve global commercialization of SPLAT BAC Plus, ISCA Technologies intends to pursue the following Specific Aims: 1) Obtain the required regulatory approvals to begin sales of SPLAT BAC Plus in the US and begin penetration of target international markets (e.g., Brazil, Tanzania); 2) Foster consumer support and buy-in via demonstration trials of SPLAT BAC Plus with targeted distributors of mosquito control products, pest control operators (PCOs), and mosquito control districts; and 3) Utilize SPLAT BAC Plus to launch a more diversified product line of mosquito control technologies, designed to conform to the different needs of various mosquito control groups and consumers, such as varying target species, environmental and safety concerns, and difficulties with resistance to different control agents.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2022
HHS
NIH
Ambro Repel: A semiochemical repellent for invasive ambrosia beetles
Amount: $600,000 Topic: 8.1
USDA SBIR Phase II-FY21-Title: Ambro Repel: A semiochemical repellent for invasive ambrosia beetles.COMPANY: ISCA TECHNOLOGIES INC. PI: DR. MAFRA-NETOField 7. Project Summary/AbstractThis Phase II project will provide an effective repellent to control multiple invasive ambrosiabeetle pests of forestry and agriculture. Ambrosia beetles are closely related to bark beetles andshare many of the same behaviors digging galleries into the wood of trees in which to lay eggsand rear their young. Unlike bark beetles ambrosia beetles do not feed directly on the tree's tissuesbut instead use them as substrates to cultivate ambrosia fungi which they rely on for sustenance.Redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) is a key pest of redbay trees (Persea borbonia) andother lauraceous plants and transmits the deadly fungal pathogen laurel wilt Raffaelea lauricola.This disease has devastated the forest ecosystems of the southeastern US killing over half a billiontrees since RAB was first detected in Georgia in 2002 and is a serious threat to the Florida avocadoindustry. Black stem borer (Xylosandrus germanus) has become a major pest of ornamental treenurseries and landscapes across the US transmitting its associated fungus Ambrosiella hartigiiand the pathogenic Fusarium spp. which can damage timber and cause stem cankers dieback andin some cases tree death. The polyphagous shot hole borer has recently emerged as a serious threatto multiple tree species in California through transmission of Fusarium dieback which interfereswith the conduction of food and water through the tree placing it under stress and eventuallyleading to dieback. Current control techniques for ambrosia beetles are limited consisting ofkeeping trees as healthy as possible to minimize their susceptibility to attacking beetles and fungalinfection. Conventional pesticide treatments have generally not been effective against these pests.ISCA proposes to develop a new control product to meet this challenge: Ambro Repel a potentrepellent that will prevent attack on vulnerable forest and crop trees by ambrosia beetles. Thisproduct will combine naturally occurring repellent compounds such as the anti-aggregationpheromone verbenone and the plant-produced volatile methyl salicylate (MeSa) with ISCA's® controlled-released matrix SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology) toproduce a formulation that will provide effective long-lasting protection of treated trees and smallstands and will also be amenable to quick inexpensive application via a range of manual andmechanized application equipment. Ambro Repel would allow forestry personnel landscapersand farmers to efficiently promote area-wide control to eradicate new invasive populations controlestablished populations and slow the spread of ambrosia beetles to new areas without resorting toadditional inputs of environmentally hazardous resistance-prone conventional pesticides.Phase I of this project produced excellent results: Several Ambro Repel prototypes containingverbenone MeSa or both have shown efficacy in reducing trap captures and/or number of attackson susceptible trees by seven species of ambrosia beetles (black stem borer Cnestus mutilatusXylosandrus crassiusculus redbay ambrosia beetle polyphagous shot hole borer Xyleborusvolvulus and X. bispinatus) in both forestry (Florida redbay groves) and agricultural settings(avocado groves potted apple trees). Phase II studies will build on these successes by conductingadditional formulation work to extend the field life of Ambro Repel from <21 days (observed inPI studies) to 3 months and expand the product's range of repellency to enable a more cost- effective application strategy. Optimized Ambro Repel prototypes will then be subjected to a seriesof field trials to identify repellent's optimal application strategy for orchards and nurseries an
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2021
USDA
GYOP— Grow Your Own Pheromone: A biobased production method for insect pheromones using transgenic plants
Amount: $650,000 Topic: 8.800000000000001
This project aims to revolutionize the production of synthetic insect pheromones to controlagricultural pests by using transgenic Camelina sativa plants to "grow" pheromone precursors.ISCA Technologies expects this innovation to eliminate the need for petroleum-based and otherlong hydrocarbon feedstocks and slash costs for pheromone synthesis making sustainableenvironmentally safe pheromone pest control tools economically feasible for a much wider arrayof crops. For decades pheromones have been proven to be effective controls for many of theworld's most damaging arthropod pests. These naturally occurring compounds can be used toprotect crops by manipulating pest behaviors such as by preventing them from mating repellingthem from crops or attracting them to traps or killing agents. Pheromones are nontoxic typicallyaffect only the targeted pest species leave no harmful residues on food produce cause little or noenvironmental pollution and are far less prone to pest resistance. Adoption of pheromones for pestmanagement however has been limited to high-value niche specialty crops because of the highcost of conventional pheromone synthesis: the price of active ingredients (AIs) of pheromonetypically range from $1000-3500 per kg resulting in field formulation prices well beyond theviable price range for growers of lower-value-per-acre row crops such as corn soybean wheatrice and cotton. The high costs pheromone controls stem from the complex organic chemistrysynthesis processes used to create them in which relatively expensive petroleum-based and plantoil chemicals are used as feedstock for the building-block hydrocarbon chains. These chemical- based manufacturing processes also create toxic waste which in turn creates pollution and highdisposal costs. This project aims to reduce the cost of pheromone AI production to below $100/kgadvancing on our Phase I breakthrough research during which together with our collaboratorswe successfully genetically modified (GM) an easy-to-grow line of C. sativa plants—a speciesused to produce biofuel—to in effect "grow" the chemical precursors of various insectpheromones which are expressed and retained in the seed oil cells. Extraction of this oil allows usto start pheromone synthesis from the last steps of the conventional synthetic process completelyreplacing all oil feedstocks used in current chemical synthetic routes and eliminating costly stepsas well as solvents and toxic waste. This technology also creates a new source of revenue for USagriculture. Fueled by photosynthesis Camelina plants express specific insect enzymes that buildthe carbon chains resulting in the precursor of the target insect pheromone which then only needsto have the functional group changed to become the high-purity pheromone needed for pest controlapplications. In Phase I the first generations of the transgenic Camelina plants were moved fromthe greenhouse to the field and harvested seeds were found to contain 30-40% seed oil by weightwith the target precursor making about 20-25% of the volume of the oil. The tasks for this projectare: 1) Cultivate successive generations of the genetic line in order to harvest larger amounts ofseed during 2020 and 2021 growing seasons. 2) Explore and develop methods to extract the oilfrom Camelina seeds harvested in 2019 and 2020 in small batches. 3). Explore and test availablemethods to distill remove and/or purify the desired pheromone precursors from the Camelina seedoil. 4) Incorporate Camelina-derived AIs into our controlled-release matrix SpecializedPheromone & Lure Application Technology (SPLAT) which is made from safe biodegradablefood.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2020
USDA
Shielding Spruce and Douglas Fir Trees from Bark Beetle Attack
Amount: $650,000 Topic: 8.1
ISCA Technologies will further develop and optimize MCH Repel DFB and MCH Repel SB twosafe and effective semiochemical-based solutions to manage Douglas-fir beetle (DFB)Dendroctonus pseudotsugae and spruce beetle (SB) D. rufipennis two of the most damagingforest pests in western North America. DFB is a leading killer of Douglas-fir from northern Mexicoto southern Canada with infestations occurring after wildfires or windstorms which producewidespread tree mortality and damage and consequently an abundance of beetle host material.DFB impacts are being exacerbated by climate change which increases beetle survival during thewinter and also puts more stress on trees. SB is the leading cause of mortality among mature sprucetrees from Alaska to Arizona destroying ~333-500 million board feet of timber annually. Suchextensive tree mortality depletes timber supplies increases fire frequency and severity anddisrupts forest management planning and operations. Current control tactics for DFB and SB arelimited to silvicultural treatments to improve forest health and increase tree stand vigor strategicremoval of infested trees preventative single-tree treatments using large quantities of toxicinsecticides and hand application of plastic dispensers containing the anti-aggregation pheromone3-methylcycolhex-2-en-1-one (MCH) which have proven unreliable for control of SB.In this Phase II project ISCA will finalize the development and commercialize two non-toxicrepellent products MCH Repel DFB and MCH Repel SB to protect trees and forests from DFBand SB. Both products will comprise thick flowable long-lasting formulations amenable to® mechanical application combining MCH with a biodegradable controlled-release matrix SPLAT(Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology). MCH Repel SB will include threeadditional repellent semiochemicals [acetophenone (E)-2-hexen-1-ol and (Z)-2-hexen-1-ol] toimprove its efficacy against SB. These products will release biologically active doses of repellentsfor up to 4 months preventing beetle mass attacks and providing season-long protection ofsusceptible trees. Phase I studies demonstrated that ISCA's prototype MCH Repel DFBbiodegradable formulation protects individual Douglas-fir trees and stands from DFB to anequivalent degree as MCH bubblecaps which release MCH through porous plastic pouches butwithout the costly need to retrieve the plastic units at the end of the field season. In a field trial inWyoming MCH Repel SB was superior to bubblecaps in suppressing SB infestations. Phase IIstudies will build on Phase I successes by developing operational formulations suitable forcommercialization with the necessary validation of efficacy data from field trials in severallocations in western North American forests.Our objectives for PII studies will be to: 1) Develop optimize characterize and standardizeoperational formulations of MCH Repel DFB & MCH Repel SB suitable for commercialization.2) Validate efficacy of MCH Repel DFB and foster technology transfer to end users by conductingoperational field trials in western North American Douglas-fir forests. 3) Elevate MCH Repel SBto the same developmental stage as MCH Repel DFB by accelerating small-plot experiments inAlaska and the lower 48 states. 4) Validate efficacy of MCH Repel SB and foster technologytransfer by conducting operational field trials in western North American spruce forests. 5) Involvestakeholders in problem identification and implementation of results. Deliverables from Phase IIwill be optimized scientifically validated operational formulations of MCH Repel DFB and MCHRepel SB for commercial use throughout western North American forests.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2020
USDA
UAV-based Semiochemical Management for US Agricultural Crops
Amount: $600,000 Topic: 8.13
In response to global population growth expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050 advanced data- driven agriculture is enabling farmers to grow more and better food with less labor water andpesticides and less harm to the environment. ISCA Technologies seeks to further this trend ofprecision agriculture by developing SPLAT UAV technology a novel method of insect pestcontrol: the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to apply extreme-low-volumes (0.1-1.5 L/ha)of safe semiochemicals (e.g. species-specific insect sex-pheromones) to suppress pestpopulations before they cause major crop damage. In this Phase II project we will continue todevelop pheromone formulation applicators that can be attached easily to commercially availableUAVs and controlled remotely facilitating timely precise and automated field applications. ISCA® will use UAVs to apply its Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology (SPLAT ) toa variety of agricultural crops. SPLAT is a controlled-release matrix made of food-grade materialscapable of releasing in the field consistent levels of semiochemicals that are biologically effectivefor weeks to months at a time as the matrix slowly degrades. While most other pheromone-basedtechnologies currently require dispenser devices—such as puffers rubber septa and bubble caps— that must be deployed by hand SPLAT is a long lasting sprayable formulation amenable toapplication by a range of mechanized technologies including piloted aircraft. Use of UAVs willgreatly expand the utility of SPLAT aerial applications enabling safe and inexpensive control forvarious insect pests in farms growing all kinds of crops at any scale and on any type of terrain.This technology will be of particular value on mid-scale (10-1000 ha) farms some of which aretoo small for traditional aircraft applications or too large for manual application to be feasible.Phase I studies have produced strong proof of the proposed concept. ISCA's engineersevaluated several available UAV frames and flight control systems capable of carrying aerialSPLAT applicators at the required level of flight longevity and stability. This research teamselected the DJI MG-1S UAV with an A3 flight controller after this model demonstrated an abilityto fly at programmed heights above crops with a high degree of accuracy and precision. Ourengineers then designed and built an applicator prototype and tested it with the MG-1S on almondgroves in Southern California. This system delivered SPLAT NOW a pheromone-based controlof navel orangeworm (Amyelois transitella) at a rate of 6 acres per 10-min flight a substantial timereduction compared to manual application which took place at a rate of 0.25 acres in 10 min.In Phase II we will optimize our SPLAT UAV application system by increasing the ease offield delivery planning automating flight path rate of delivery of the product obstacle avoidanceand improving the software interface to make it more intuitive to the user. We will test thisoptimized applicator prototype in large-scale trials of SPLAT formulations targeting multiple mothpest species including codling moth (Cydia pomonella) a pest of apples and pears; Oriental fruitmoth (Grapholita molesta) a pest of orchard fruit; cranberry fruitworm (Acrobasis vaccinii)which feeds on cranberries; grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) a pest of vineyards and fallarmyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) which is destructive to a broad range of row crops. We expectto demonstrate that semiochemical-based pest controls applied by UAVs can provide equal orbetter pest control than manual applications or traditional pesticide cover sprays at comparablecosts without any of the latter's negative environment
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2019
USDA
SPLAT FAW: An inexpensive mating disruption solution to effectively protect row crops from damaging insecticide-resistant fall armyworms
Amount: $600,000 Topic: 8.2
In this Phase 2 (PhII) grant application, ISCA Technologies proposes to develop and commercialize a nontoxic, pheromone-based, long-lasting mating disruption formulation, SPLAT FAW, to control Spodoptera frugiperda, the fall armyworm (FAW), one of the world’s most damaging crop pests. This pest has evolved strong resistance to numerous insecticides [7][10][64][65][66], including those expressed by genetically modified (GM) plants [12][22][35][40][43][44][45][57][63]. Our PhII effort will build on successful Phase 1 (PhI) development of SPLAT FAW formulations that use environmentally safe FAW sex pheromones as active ingredients (AIs) and were registered for commercial use with US Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) in late 2018. ISCA also completed successful PhI trials on 60 ha of corn in Argentina, where FAW pressure is strong. Fields treated with SPLAT FAW showed substantially less leaf damage and kernel loss from FAW larvae feeding than a control field of the same size. In PhI, ISCA also formulated SPLAT FAW for aircraft and tractor applications, and we are now assessing the efficacy of such applications over 1,038 ha of corn under FAW pressure in Brazil. In PhII, we will conduct similar trials in the southeast US, where FAW has developed resistance to GM corn and cotton varieties. ISCA also will optimize formulations and develop scaled-up production methods. The need for SPLAT FAW is increasingly urgent. In 2018, the EPA released a white paper to the agency’s Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) for pesticide regulations that identified 11 on-going risk factors contributing to increasing resistance in FAW and three more moth species to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins expressed in the GM corn and cotton in the US [12]. The SAP followed up in July 2018 by calling for the development of new integrated pest management (IPM) methods to combat Bt resistance now occurring by FAW and three other lepidopteran species despite current resistance manage practices [11]. The matter is pressing for US agriculture, where Bt strains now account for ~80% of the plant acreage of corn and cotton [51] and where plans to introduce Bt soybean strains have been delayed indefinitely amid Bt resistance concerns [47][52]. SPLAT FAW will help extend the viability of costly GM traits currently available, as well as of those introduced in the future, such as weed-herbicide tolerance and plant protection from other Bt-susceptible insect pests. Beyond the US, the FAW remains a problem in South America and the Caribbean and is now greatly expanding its global range. In 2016, FAW was discovered in sub-Saharan Africa, and it is now damaging crops in 30 African countries, risking food security for >300 million families and bringing estimated losses as high as $6.2 billion in just 12 of those countries [13]. In 2018, FAW appeared in India and is now appearing in several Asian nations [20]. Development of SPLAT FAW answers both national and international calls to control the FAW with IPM regimes, including calls by the EPA, Feed the Future (in partnership with the USDA to combat global hunger), and the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization. SPLAT FAW is made from safe, naturally occurring compounds and thus will qualify to serve a growing number of organic farms. Unlike the use of insecticides, SPLAT FAW controls FAW by disrupting the mating of adult moths, including Bt-resistant moths. Until recently, mating disruption to control pests on large acreage row crops (e.g., corn, cotton, and soybeans) was believed to be unfeasible because of the high cost of the synthetic pheromones ($1,000 to $3,000/kg). ISCA, however, has developed efficient ways to produce synthetic FAW sex pheromones pheromone at a cost of $200/kg. The FAW sex pheromone blend is formulated into ISCA’s proprietary Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology (SPLAT), a flowable control release matrix composed of harmless vegetable oils, wax, water, and other foodgrade ingredients. Once applied to row crops by aircraft or tractor, this rainproof formulation slowly releases for a period of 4–8 weeks trails of sex pheromone that mimic the mating call of virgin female FAW moths. The overabundance of sex pheromone in the field makes it nearly impossible for male moths to locate females for mating. They instead fly from one point source of SPLAT FAW to another in a futile effort to find females, expending their limited energy reserves until they die naturally, without producing offspring. Ironically, the application of the same pheromones these moths evolved for reproductive success produces just the opposite result.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2019
USDA
SPLAT FAW: An inexpensive mating disruption solution to effectively protect row crops from damaging insecticide-resistant fall armyworms.
Amount: $100,000 Topic: 8.2
Summary:The objective of this project is to develop SPLAT FAW, a formulation to disrupt the mating of FAW in corn and other row crops, suppressing the pest's population in the treated area as well as the damage inflicted to the crop. An infestation by FAW can cause 15-73% reductions in corn crop yield, leading to losses between $0.5B and $2B a year. This makes FAW a serious liability for agriculture in the U.S., where corn is the nation's largest crop, with 15.1 billion bushels produced in 2016. With corn harvest price in 2016 at $3.49 per bushel the year's harvest brought over $50 billion in revenues to U.S. farmers. Corn is a vital resource in the food, beverage, dairy, beef and ethanol industries, among others.ISCA's SPLAT FAW mating disruption strategy will be delivered as a low-cost, non-toxic method of pest control. It will deploy sex pheromones in such a way that male insects in the treated area will be unable to locate female mates, interfering with reproduction and suppressing the pest populations over time. Sex pheromones are specific breeding chemical signals emitted by females of a single species, and detected only by receptors in the males of that same species. This form of communication evolved over millions of years of natural selection, making mating-disruption control immensely more resilient to the kind of built-up resistance that we see with conventional chemical pesticides and Bt proteins in GM-crops. The goal of Phase I field trials will be to gather data on the effectiveness of the formulation, as well as to determine the necessary application rate and size of the treatment area needed to overcome "edge effects" (oviposition by mated females migrating into the treated fields from surrounding untreated areas). We will produce adequate volumes of FAW pheromone to meet the requirements of the Phase I field trials. The SPLAT matrix also needs to be formulated for aerial and tractor spray applications and to be optimized for stable, slow release of the sex pheromones to ensure that the product will sustain its efficacy as a mating disruptant for an entire growing season with only one or two applications required.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2018
USDA
SPLAT Bloom: focused bee pollination in safe target areas
Amount: $600,000 Topic: 8.2
The long-term aim of this project is to provide growers of honeybee-dependent crops and commercial beekeepers with SPLAT Bloom and SuperBoost, two semiochemical-based products to improve the health and performance of pollinators in US crop fields. Applied together, these two products will provide a safe and effective means to 1) improve the pollination performance of honeybee colonies by focusing their foraging activity within the target crop; 2) help to prevent the loss of these vital insects to accidental exposure to pesticides (as a result of honeybees venturing beyond the target field and into surrounding areas that may have been contaminated by harmful chemicals); and 3) bolster the health and resilience of honeybee hives by encouraging higher levels of foraging among worker bees. In light of the declines in availability of commercial honeybee hives as well as the growing obstacles for achieving effective crop pollination in today's demanding agricultural systems, SPLAT Bloom and SuperBoost will be extremely valuable tools to improve yield and quality for a variety of bee-pollinated crops, resulting in a positive economic impact for growers both in the US and worldwide.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2018
USDA
CBB Repel: Safeguarding the Prosperity of the Small Farm Hawaiian Coffee Industry
Amount: $600,000 Topic: 8.12
CBB Repel will help growers to protect their coffee crops from the most damaging coffee pest in the world, while promoting responsible environmental stewardship. If successful, CBB Repel will allow stakeholders who have been suffering with the scourge of this invasive CBB species, to reengage on the development of the healthy, prosperous, and energetic local communities centered on the small- and medium-scale coffee growers of the islands of Hawaii and around the world.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2018
USDA