Area treated with baculovirus by LIFE Biological Control grows by 250%

Date:04-11-2025

Between 2022 and 2024, products based on baculoviruses produced by the Brazilian company LIFE Biological Control were applied to over 2 million hectares. This represents a 250% increase in the area treated with the biological input.

According to the manufacturer, the increased pressure from caterpillars, especially in maize cultivation, and the demand for more technological and selective bioinsecticides have led to a surge in areas treated with biological products based on baculoviruses (viruses that control caterpillars). 

According to the Brazilian startup LIFE Biological Control, this heightened interest from producers in baculoviruses is attributed to a new mindset among producers.

″These products offer efficiency in controlling caterpillars and increasing agricultural productivity, as well as reducing the need for chemical applications, providing more safety and sustainability for people and the environment,″ explained the company's CEO, Cristiane Tibola.

The researcher, who is also a scientist and holds a PhD in Entomology from ESALQ/USP, added: ″This increase reflects the growing adoption of this solution by farmers seeking sustainable and effective alternatives against agricultural pests in response to the increased caterpillar pressure experienced in the last harvest.″

LIFE Biological Control explained that it has been expanding its presence in the Brazilian agricultural sector through sales in its brand distribution channels or via B2B partners. The two million hectares covered with its baculovirus include significant crops such as maize, soybeans, cotton, and vegetables.

″In maize alone, we have recorded a 250% growth in the area treated with our products over two years. Among the regions that have seen the most growth are properties in the states of MT, MG, and BA,″ the company's CEO highlighted. According to her, LIFE Biological Control plans to expand its production to cover an area of approximately 10 million hectares by 2026, reinforcing its significant position in this market.

According to researchers from Embrapa, the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), the main pest of maize, can reduce the production of this crop by more than 50%. In response to farmers' demand, LIFE Biological Control launched Destroyer Sf through a public-private partnership with Embrapa Maize and Sorghum. This microbiological product contains a virus in its exclusive formulation that infects the pest without posing risks to human health or the environment.

Studies by Embrapa, which served as the basis for the development of Destroyer Sf in partnership with LIFE Biological Control, show that baculovirus can achieve control efficiency of over 80% in some crops, such as soybeans and maize, depending on climatic conditions and the pest's population density.

About LIFE Biological Control

LIFE Biological Control is a Brazilian company dedicated to the production of high-quality biological control agents. It is developing various products in the lines of bioinsecticides, biofungicides, biobactericides, and bionematicides, encompassing Macro and Microorganisms.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)