" A collaborative pioneering spirit and unwavering commitment to Cartesian product and armed service caliber have underpinned our growth , " says James Altmann , co - Director with the Australian company Biological Services . The company is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year and over that meter their charge has always been to assist future - proof pestis control in agriculture . Today , Biological Services is Australia ’s largest biological ascendency company and is a recognize pioneer of IPM in Australia .
In the sixties and seventies , Australian Agriculture Department looked quite different from the industriousness it is today . " Pest management was almost totally reliant on chemical control often on a on a regular basis scheduled basis . The main pesticides were residually toxic broad - spectrum product from organophosphate , organochlorine , carbamate , and pyrethroid grouping . Some of these are still used . Many have since been banish for perniciousness or are no longer efficient as the pest have conform and have become resistant to them , " James ploughshare .
Red Scale problem became the catalyst for changeIn this era , Red Scale in Citrus was open rapidly and was difficult to check . Departments of Agriculture in South Australia and Victoria enter on an innovative biologic restraint research project based on similar programme in California . This proved successful and led the manner for a commercial insectary to supply leech to the citrus tree industry .
Enter Biological Services , Australia ’s first commercial-grade insectary established in 1971 by Ron and Beryl George to breed Aphytis melinus for ascendance of Red Scale . Their program was a keen achiever , and significantly , reinforced to entomologists and growers that Integrated Pest Management ( IPM ) was a viable and more sustainable method than spraying alone . " While the concept of IPM was wide learn in agrarian course , very few growers used good organisms in the pest direction attack before the 1990s . "
Above : This was the first insectary in Australia,1971 . Aphytis were first collected and let go in tryout tubes .
Only spraying when really necessaryBiological Services co - Director , James Altmann , took over the reins in 1987 . He and his married woman Simone set up a commercial pest monitoring table service raise an IPM approach : conserving natural enemies , releasing fundamental beneficials , and only spraying when really necessary . A focus of the duo was to increase the range of mass - produced beneficials available for Australian husbandry . glasshouse crops were a particular focus due to success being realized in the UK , Europe , and Northern America . A Churchill Fellowship in 1992 allow James to travel and make some valuable womb-to-tomb insectary contacts particularly in Israel , Europe , and North America . Insectary businesses were smaller and more open at that clip , peculiarly where there was no threat to competitor and collaboration was good for both parties .
James says the first few years of byplay were unmanageable . “ Some raiser were really proactive , others did n’t need to know , ” he say . “ There was a portion of the industry that actively denigrated what we were trying to achieve . Our impression and drive were warm , however , and we actively aligned ourselves with educated people who had the same ideals , which include central agriculturist , Department bug-hunter and insectary workfellow in Australia and abroad . There were many trials , failures and some successes and we learned from every one of them ” , James say .
In 2010 Biological Services start collaborating with Manchil IPM Services , run by Lachlan and Jody Chilman . Their patronage was lay down in 2002 rise Phytoseiulus persimilis for Two Spotted Mite control in the westerly Australian strawberry industry . Together , the companies developed complete IPM program for key pests such as Two Spotted Mite , Whiteflies , Aphids , and Thrips throughout Australia . Key program successes were accomplish in Greenhouse craw and berries .
Above : The insectary at Muchea taking form in 2002 , and expansions in 2016 . Company Directors , James Altmann and Lachlan Chilman .
In 2014 the two companies merged , with Lachlan and James becoming joint director of Biological Services . Together with an active and ongoing R&D programme , they uphold to increase their range of beneficials , now offering 23 commercial production and repeatable plague ascendence programs for many high-pitched - time value horticultural crops .
keep 50 yearsToday , Biological Services is Australia ’s largest biological control company and is a recognized groundbreaker of IPM in Australia . " We stay to forge a reputation as a provider of gamey - calibre beneficials and IPM expertise for Australian condition , " says James .
This class , Biological Services entered into an international association with Biobest . The business now has access to excess help for developing new services and IPM related mathematical product . " All of our staff have access to another point of collaboration with Biobest ’s R&D , product , IP , and confabulate staff . "
Above : Loose predatory mite material ready for dispatch and being released into cucumbers for thrips control .
the great unwashed and toolsLachlan credits a dedication to ensuring the company has the right people and tools to assist our node to the highest standards .
“ Since 1971 , Biological Services has been helping commercial growers achieve healthy and sustainable payoff through the economic consumption of good organisms . This is now compound with on - land site integrated blighter management consultancy across Australia , ” said Lachlan .
“ We take pride in the quality of our beneficials , and we employ entomologists , horticulturalists , and agricultural scientists to give on - site agronomical advice to our clients , project IPM programme that are specific to them .
“ As a result , we ’ve grow from a two - person functioning to a 50 + strong team across Australia over the past 50 class . IPM is now run across as the cornerstone of pest direction worldwide in many cropping organisation . It has been a heavy scholarship experience to have been part of the abetment of sustainable gadfly command programs in Australia , ” said Lachlan .
Above : The Biological Services Consultant team meeting online during 2019 . Muchea staff in 2018 . James and Simone in the laboratory .
James agrees , note the value of the collaborative effort to drive change .
“ We thank each one of our stave , clients , and collaborators – preceding and present - for working alongside us to reduce the use of chemicals in Australian agriculture in the interests of growers , consumers , and our environment , ” James said . “ There is still plenty of work to be done – so here ’s to the next 50 years ! ”
For more information : Biological Services08 8584 6977[email protected]www.biologicalservices.com.au
