CSIRO - Advancing Farm Productivity Seminar Series

Seminar Three: Biopesticides for current and future farming systems – opportunities and challenges

Presenter: Dr. Louise Thatcher, Agriculture and Food, CSIRO

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Helen Hicks

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About the Series:

Hosted by Ben Trevaskis, Research Director for the Advancing Farm Productivity Program within CSIRO's Food and Fibre Research Area, this series explores how research and innovation can support the long-term productivity and profitability of Australian agriculture.

Presentation Abstract:

Farming enterprises are under increasing pressure to reduce chemical inputs while maintaining productivity, including pesticide use driven by evolving trade and regulatory requirements, changing label uses, growing resistance to conventional crop protection products, and a declining pipeline of new chemistries. Biopesticides, which are based on living organisms, natural products, or their derivatives, are emerging as valuable complements to conventional crop protection chemistries. They offer new and diverse modes of action that can be additive, including direct suppression of pests, pathogens or weeds, microbial competition, and activation of plant defense responses, helping to manage resistance, extend the useful life of existing chemistries and support sustainable crop production. New or improved biopesticide technologies are emerging and being commercialised overseas, including for example peptides, antibodies or novel metabolites, alongside advances in bioproduction and formulation that are reducing the cost of products and improving shelf-life and performance. While the concept of harnessing nature for crop protection is well established, the potential benefits of biopesticides for improving yields, reducing resistance pressure, and addressing management gaps are not yet fully understood in many Australian cropping systems. This seminar explores the challenges and opportunities for biopesticide adoption in Australia and highlights current national and international research that is supporting their integration into farming systems.

About the presenter:

Dr Louise Thatcher is a Principal Research Scientist and leads a biopesticides research area at CSIRO, with more than 20 years of experience delivering innovative genetic and biological solutions for sustainable crop protection. She has developed and led multidisciplinary teams and strategic research projects that translate scientific discovery into industry impact. Based in Canberra, she is a member of the Microbial Technologies team working on the discovery, improvement and deployment of microbial, nature-derived or nature-inspired crop protection and plant health products. This involves mechanistic research into the interaction of these products with plants, translating this knowledge into effective, integrated solutions for crop protection and improved productivity. This extends to building capability and trusted connections across disciplines, industry, research organisations and international networks that are creating valuable pathways and opportunities for new technologies and innovations to support Australian agriculture.

Louise obtained a BSc (1st class Hons, 1999) and PhD (2007) in microbiology and plant molecular biology from the University of Western Australia. She completed two Postdoctoral Fellowships within CSIRO Plant Industry (Brisbane, Perth) followed by several team leader positions and leader of the Crop Protection Group. Since 2015 she established and leads a biopesticides research area. In 2019 she relocated from Perth to CSIRO Canberra. Her research spans pests, weeds and diseases, with a particular interest and strong background in control of necrotrophic fungal pathogens.