Within the New Pesticides department We are dedicated to the development and/or selection of molecules and the use of microorganisms (such as bacteria and fungi) with activities that make it possible to control diseases that attack Mediterranean crops.

Many of the active substances on the market that are used by farmers to combat pests and diseases are being discontinued. Due to their toxicity levels, or their very broad spectrum of action, they can affect insects and other organisms that are beneficial to the environment or even to humans. In addition, pathogens have been developing resistance to the solutions currently on the market.

Legislation is taking many of the formulations capable of controlling these crop-destroying pests and diseases off the market. In addition, new pests and diseases have emerged for which there are no control solutions. The withdrawal of active ingredients is occurring more frequently in Europe, but it is also starting to happen in the United States and other countries.

With this in mind, the aim of this department is to develop new bio-based solutions, which are generally known as biopesticides. These are chemical-biological solutions, in that they are mainly made up of nucleic acids (small interfering RNA) or small proteins that may have the ability to inhibit the interaction between pathogenic organisms and the plants we want to protect, or even to inhibit the growth of that pathogenic organism. These types of molecules are not toxic to humans or other animals; they are specific and have less impact on the environment than currently existing synthetic agrochemicals.