Small-scale processing of microbial pesticides

The microorganisms used by industry to produce today's microbial insecticides have been developed from wild organisms isolated from nature. They have been massively modified by mutation and selection to meet overall process needs and are able to produce, under carefully controlled fermentation conditions, very large quantities of commercially viable products. Experience has shown that downstream of the fermenter, the preparation, harvesting, formulation, testing, and marketing of microbial pesticides greatly exceed the costs of the actual fermentation process itself.Small-scale production of microbial insecticides is subject to the same manufacturing principles as large-scale production. Small-scale production in the tropics is cheaper due mainly to the fact that the requirements of energy necessary to maintain the cultivation temperature is substantially lower than in moderate climates, or even negligible. This advantage makes it clear that it is here where small-scale production can successfully compete with big-scale producers. Another advantage is that long-term storage poses fewer problems, inasmuch as the products will be implemented locally. Also, the implementation of certain entomopathogenic fungi in humid tropics is more reliable due to higher effectiveness in application.