Bollcure is a plant extract-based botanical biopesticide that has been developed by TERI. The biopesticide Bollcure is an environment-friendly approach to enhance crop productivity in a sustainable manner by keeping insect pests at bay. Insect pests are those insects that feed on, compete for food with, or transmit diseases to humans and livestock. The product has been tested extensively for its usefulness against Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm) in cotton and chickpea at different Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes and agricultural universities in India and abroad. Bollcure is made from eucalyptus leaves extract, which makes it safer for use and is biodegradable.
Helicoverpa armigera is a polyphagus insect infecting more than 181 host species. The insect larva bores a hole into the fruits, pods, or shoots of the plants, thereby, damaging the produce and subsequently making it prone to a number of diseases and fungal infections; further deterring the marketability of the produce.

It has a harmful effect on a number of crops of commercial importance such as tomato, brinjal, okra, chillies, cotton, maize, pigeon pea, beans, etc. Being polyphagus in nature makes it cosmopolitan in distribution and it is known by different names across the globe.

The conventional approach to manage this pest internationally is through the application of chemical pesticides and plantation of transgenic crops especially Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), which has led to the emergence of associated problems such as pesticide resistance, secondary pest resurgence, etc. Being a complex of botanical origin, Bollcure is made up of chemicals of natural origin, therefore, resistance built-up with Bollcure is an event unlikely to happen!

Its broad spectrum activity against a number of insect pests makes it suitable for incorporation in crop production packages of different variety of crops. This, in turn prevents the economic yield loss of the crops in an eco-friendly way. Bollcure is therefore a safe option to manage the borer complex in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner without disturbing the food chain. Independent studies from different organizations have also found its success at par with leading synthetic pesticides on sucking pest complex of cotton and other crops.

It has yield-enhancing capacity and is cost effective. It works as a growth retardant and has a mild antifeedant property, which causes up to 88 per cent weight reduction in larvae. This product is registered with Central Insecticide Board, which makes it standard. Being organically certified from an independent agency it is perfectly fit for organic cultivation. This product is proven safe for fish, honey bees, birds, and mammals. The pesticide industry is growing and competition among channel partners of business as well as companies is more matured than ever, which has helped farmers by empowering them with choices. It has also forced the industry to come out with innovations. There is a consistent trend of replacement of high toxicity chemicals with low toxicity chemicals in cultivation. Innovation based companies are putting more focus on safe chemicals than conventional chemicals. This is a healthy trend heading towards the emergence of biopesticides as a strong alternative to synthetic pesticides.

A large number of products, which claim to be biopesticides and organic fertilizers, lack standard certification from Central Insecticide Board or other licensing authorities, which creates serious doubts about the quality of these products. As they are not registered, they are as risky as other synthetic pesticides. This practice hurts the image of bio and organic agricultural inputs. Unregistered products not just exist in the market, but also take the share of purchase which farmers plan for bio or organic products. As the trend towards safe agriculture is growing, biopesticides will be consumed more than ever in the future. Here, Bollcure has the opportunity of becoming the solution to different pest complexes that farmers face, giving them a strong, safe, and sustainable alternative. TERI is making efforts to ensure that the innovations it provides reach the grass-roots level. Though biological input market is growing at a high rate and farmers are more aware than earlier about it, farmers who are still largely interested in organic produce or exports, use them. Hence, market share of biological inputs is minuscule. 

TERI expects to cater to not only organic farming but also conventional farming. Bollcure helps in controlling pests for a very long time and works on multiple pests. The product is cost-effective and hence, farmers can buy this instead of the existing ones in practice. The product is successful when used extensively in field crops. Effects of uncontrolled and unscientific use of synthetic pesticides have hurt people and ecosystems everywhere in the world. Intentionally or unintentionally, farmers use synthetic pesticides in harmful amount and concentration. As humans consume these pesticides it harms their health.

Bollcure is not just an input to agriculture, but also symbolizes an effort for ensuring safety of human health, ecosystem, and environment. Bollcure should be handed out to every person who is committed to human and environmental safety.

Dr Nutan Kaushik, Senior Fellow, Environmental & Industrial Biotechnology, TERI and Mr Mangesh Manik Ghodake, Marketing and Research Analyst, Environmental & Industrial Biotechnology, TERI.