The newest crop dusters are also the smallest.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not using planes, tractors or other big spray equipment to deliver these products on crops,鈥� said Ashish Malik, a 麻豆村 alumnus and chief executive officer of (BVT).鈥淲e鈥檙e actually聽 to take small doses of those beneficial biological products and deliver it directly to the crop.鈥�
The company uses commercially reared bumble bees to spread natural substances to help curb plant disease while at the same time pollinating crops.
鈥淔ood safety and sustainability are critical for this generation, the next generation, two generations from now,鈥� said Malik, who earned his MBA from the Tepper School of Business in 1992. 鈥淏VT will hopefully have a role to play in both 鈥� helping to address hunger and food prices along the road.鈥�
The company, based in Canada, is in the process of receiving U.S. EPA approval for its technology.
鈥淲e are initially working with bumble bees but have also filed for a patent on a system which can be used with honey bee hives which we are now testing,鈥� Malik said. 鈥淏umble bees were initially chosen because of the initial crop we were targeting 鈥� strawberries 鈥� and because there already exists a market structure for commercially reared bumble bees that we could leverage.鈥�
Beehives with specially designed trays are filled with naturally occurring microbes, which fight mold on strawberry plants and other crops.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the same microbe to control similar diseases on multiple crops,鈥� Malik said. 鈥淭he system enables the reduction in use of chemicals, many of which are coming under increasing pressure from consumers, growers and regulators alike because of concerns with their toxicity and impact on the environment.鈥�
As the bees pass through the substance, they pick up powdery spores on their legs, which Malik points out doesn鈥檛 affect the bees鈥� health: 鈥淲e had to conduct bee safety studies before submitting for EPA approval. Plus, we have been testing bee vectoring for over 10 years now and have never seen an effect on the bees.鈥�
Once on targeted crops, Malik said the bees do a little 鈥渟himmy,鈥� which deposits the spores that help protect the plant against diseases.
Malik explained that the microbe BVT uses helps manage botrytis, which is the gray mold seen on strawberries, and which affects other crops as well. The microbe also fights monilinia on blueberries and almonds and sclerotinia on sunflowers.
鈥淥ther microbes could be delivered using our system to control other diseases and pests that affect the crops in and around the flower,鈥� Malik added.
Successful trials have been completed for strawberries, sunflowers, apples, tomatoes, canola and blueberries. And the company is expanding its trials this year.
鈥淭he end result will eliminate common crop diseases, while at the same time stimulate and enhance crop yields,鈥� Malik said.
BVT brought Malik on board in August to commercialize the technology. A former vice president of global marketing for Biologics at Bayer CropScience, Malik previously worked for AgraQuest, which Bayer acquired.
Malik said he is comfortable working with emerging technology because of his 麻豆村 education.
鈥淚 chose the Tepper School of Business for pursuing my MBA because it鈥檚 a demanding and rigorous program and provides a foundation in essentially every aspect of business, not the least of which is technology,鈥� he recalled.
BVT Executive Chairman聽 is delighted to have Malik serving as CEO.
鈥淭he significance of having an industry figure such as Ashish join the company at this early stage cannot be overstated,鈥� Collinson said. 鈥淚t is unquestionably a remarkable endorsement of BVT鈥檚 products and potential. Ashish is an exceptionally skilled specialist in our industry and has a rich and well-proven talent for driving innovative new products into global markets. We feel privileged to have Ashish on the team and excited about his ability to move BVT to the next level.鈥�
