Research, development and innovation.
The phenomenon of biological invasions has produced an enormous impact, not only on the environment and the economy, but on the treatment of problems related to the conservation and sustainability of the environment and the affected industrial and strategic sectors.
The enormous variety of migrant organisms and the great dispersion of the phenomenon, initially produced by the globalization of markets and the consequent transfer of goods. The maritime commercial fleet doubles every 10 years, and it is estimated that around 10 billion tons of water and 7,000-10,000 species are transported every day through this route. This has meant, for example, that in less than a century the waters that bathe the United Kingdom, have about 100 species of exotic algae that have arrived attached to the boats or through the emptying in port of ballast water. It is expected that in the next 50 years biological invasions will be a phenomenon of change of greater magnitude than climate change. The marine ecosystems are already experiencing an increase in the establishment of exotic species, whose scope was limited by the low temperatures of the water in winter. Another aspect of global change of utmost importance is the eutrophication of ecosystems by increases in the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, resulting from the excessive use of fertilizers, acid rain, wastewater discharges with insufficient purification and pollution in general. Both nitrogen and phosphorus are essential elements for organisms, which often limit the primary production of ecosystems. METHODOLOGICAL OBSOLESCENCEMany of the products currently used in pest control, are not complying, not only laws, but are directly attacking the health of people and natural balance.
These harmful methods are used not only for the difficulty of strict control, but also for the complacency or connivance of the actors involved. Toxic products are applied indiscriminately to contain what has been termed as the second environmental pollution problem. Perhaps the harmful effects of this malpractice will not affect our health? Surface and groundwater, in addition to agricultural soils, already contain enough toxic agents to severely alter the balance necessary to maintain the normal development of agriculture and water resources. Biotechnology. The future |
In contrast, the direct consequence of research and development activities has allowed, after years of economic effort, to design, manufacture and build control models by applying products and equipment with capacities superior to those of the preceding ones and those that are more important: absolutely innocuous for the environment and the health of people. Few companies dedicate time and money to this arduous task, sometimes with unfavorable results.
However, others do succeed. They are those that from their foundation opted for a business model with respect to the environment, long before the global phenomenon reached the levels of current affectation. This is the case of MARRONE BIO INNOVATION. Californian company that since its foundation in 2006, has dedicated its efforts to develop bio technology applied to agriculture and also to the control of invasive bivalve pests. |
Intelligent systems, for intelligent controlECOWATER TECHNOLOGIES, is creating and developing complementary and auxiliary equipment for the application of last generation biopesticides. These products based on harmless biological organisms, for example ZEQUANOX (Pseudomonas protegens CL-145A) are able to perform a control with 100% efficiency on invading bivalves, adults and veligers.
The RSPC-IEB project will allow, in open aquatic systems (lakes, reservoirs, large reservoirs and reservoirs), these biopesticides can direct their effects in colonies settled at depths greater than 6 meters, in a controlled and direct manner. |