Cuba

Capacity building for agroindustrial development of essential oil-based pesticides in Cuba

Le sommaire ci-dessous est présenté dans la langue de la demande soumis par les demandeurs du concours SCR-CALA.

The goal of the proposed collaboration is the development of an agroindustry in Cuba to produce natural pesticides based on plant essential oils. The applicant has 30 years of experience in the discovery and development of botanical insecticides, culminating in the commercialization in the USA of several pesticides based on essential oils for use in agriculture, professional pest control, animal health, and consumer products for home and garden pest control. The development of natural pesticides that are effective but environmentally sound is consistent with Cuba’s ongoing emergence as a leader in Latin America in the area of low-input sustainable agriculture.

Specific objectives of the proposed project include the selection of the most suitable oils based on plants cultivated in Cuba, determination of efficacy both in terms of contact toxicity and as repellents/deterrents to key agricultural pests, and chemical characterization of the most biologically active oils. The main activities proposed to accomplish this are a visit by the applicant to the Cuban partner institution and participation in a workshop on the development and commercialization of natural pesticides and a longer visit by the Cuban co-PI to learn some chemical analysis and bioassay techniques in the applicant’s UBC laboratory and other relevant facilities. These visits are intended to form the basis for a longer, more detailed joint investigation between the partner institutions.