Rigorous quality control in production and formulation is especially crucial for EPF even in an ‘appropriate technology’ context (35). In particular, minimisation of moisture from preparations of fungal spores is vital for storage stability (36). Some poor-quality formulations have caused blockages in application equipment and rigorous particle size specifications are needed. 2.1.3 Protozoa Only a few BCA products worldwide are based on protozoan parasites, including Nosema species against certain insect pests. The reasons for that are manifold, but primarily include difficulties with production and life cycles with sexual stages that pose problems regarding regulator’s demands for genetic stability of isolates. In ASEAN, one successful example of a commercial product based on a protozoan BCA is Sarcocystis singaporensis, a cyst-forming parasite that naturally infects rodents (rats of the genera Rattus and Bandicota) and a boid snake: the reticulated python. S. singaporensis has been developed for rodent control in Southeast Asia (37), with a product which is now available in at least three AMS (Thailand, Indonesia, Lao PDR; it also has been registered in Vietnam). This product was deliberately developed and commercialised locally, because it was realised early on that the use of a native BCA could be advantageous with regard to effectiveness, economics of production (these parasite are grown in live hosts), and the regulatory hurdles to be overcome (being a pathogen of mammals ). It is a good example of how an idea, having first being scientifically conceived, was developed further by international development cooperation (German government, DOA of Thailand and Indonesia), and finally commercialised through technology transfer to the local private sector (25) (37). Sarcocystis singaporensis was examined more than 20 years with regard to host specificity, a point that was crucial to determine that the micro-organism is highly specific for its target hosts and safe for humans and non-target animals, in particular other mammals. Because rats are sensitive to certain infection doses even if they are infected naturally, this is a powerful example of how a naturally evolved host-parasite relationship can be exploited for effective pest management. Application of S. singaporensis is especially effective in combination with the establishment of barn owls, which are unaffected by the protozoan (38). This approach has become increasingly attractive for rodent management in oil palm plantations of Southeast Asia: environments which are highly challenging for rodent management as number of rats can reach several hundred per hectare. 2.1.4 Insect viruses and entomopathogenic nematodes Whereas insect viruses and nematodes hold a strong position in the product portfolios of BCA in Europe, the US, and other developed countries, there is currently only one NPV (nuclear polyhedrosis virus) product registered in Vietnam according the ABC database. Nematodes are actually not micro-organisms 20 but may be treated as such from an operational point of view. From a regulatory perspective, they have been treated as macro-organisms in the EU - with very little regulatory burden – hence their relative commercial success. However, pilot production plants for baculoviruses and nematodes have been established at the DOA in Thailand, and products of both types have been elevated to the commercial level in
Implementing Biological Control Agents in the ASEAN Region
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