Peptide-Based Bioinsecticide Receives Emergency Use Authorization in Italy for Control of Tomato Leafminer Infestations
Italy has become the second country in the European Union to grant emergency access to a novel bioinsecticide that tackles devastating infestations of tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta) — a pest that has been known to cause yield losses in Europe of up to €350,000/ha.
Italy’s Ministry of Health granted an Article 53 Emergency Authorization in Italy for SPEAR LEP, a peptide-based insecticide that targets lepidopteran insects such as tomato leafminer while presenting minimal risk to people, pollinators and beneficials.
In experimental studies conducted in Italy and other European countries, SPEAR LEP, made by the U.S.-based company Vestaron, has demonstrated efficacy against the target pest under both open-field and protected conditions, including in populations that may be resistant to other commonly used insecticides. Fully approved in the U.S. and Canada, the product was also authorized for emergency use in Greece earlier this year.
Sustainable solution
Italian grower group Società Cooperativa Agricola Aurora, which petitioned the Ministry of Health for the emergency authorization, said it was delighted that the temporary authorization had been granted, giving its members the chance to effectively and sustainably control costly tomato leafminer infestations.
“Having access to effective biocontrols like SPEAR LEP is vital to helping producers reduce pesticide use — supporting profitable production while lowering farming’s impact on the environment,” said Giuseppe Buggea, Aurora’s president.
“With a unique mode of action, SPEAR LEP provides Italian tomato growers with a sustainable solution to use in rotation with other categories of pesticides, helping to protect crop quality and yields while preserving the efficacy of the limited range of products available to combat this prevalent pest.”
Novel mode of action
Available for growers in Italy to use on tomato plants from March 28 to July 25, 2024, SPEAR LEP is a biological product that is ingested by larvae as they graze on leaves.
Based on naturally occurring peptides found in spider venom and produced using natural fermentation, SPEAR LEP has a unique mode of action (IRAC group 32) with no known resistance or cross-resistance with other synthetic pesticides, making it a useful tool for resistance and integrated pest management.
When used in conjunction with a low dose of the widely used insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which disrupts the larvae’s gut, the active substance in the product (GS-omega/kappa-HxTx-Hv1a) is able to enter the pest’s blood stream and attack its central nervous system, destroying the larvae within as little as two days.
Less risk to people, pollinators and the planet
Fully biodegradable and highly specific to the target pest, Spear LEP is also soft on pollinators and has an excellent human and environmental safety profile.
Vestaron Corporation, the company that develops and manufactures the product, said the temporary authorization adds an important tool to growers’ toolboxes at a time when access to effective crop protection products is becoming limited in Europe.
“The Tuta absoluta crisis in Italy and other European countries underscores the need for effective, sustainable pest control products as the use of neonicotinoids and other synthetic pesticides becomes increasingly restricted,” said Juan Estupinan, Vestaron’s president and CEO.
“Peptide-based bioinsecticides such as SPEAR LEP represent a powerful new category of products to effectively control pests while fighting resistance. Such tools are imperative for growers and offer advantages for workers and in-field specialists, beneficials, the environment and consumers.”
Under the emergency authorization, growers will be able to make up to three applications of SPEAR LEP once every 5 to 10 days at a dose of 1.5 to 2.3 L/ha.
SPEAR LEP has been in use in the US and Canada since 2020 and has been submitted to the European Commission for full approval in Europe.
For more information about SPEAR LEP and to find a regional distributor selling the product, tomato producers in Italy should visit it.vestaron.com.
About tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta)
Originally from Latin America, tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta) is a lepidopteran pest of tomatoes and other Solanaceae crops. It was first reported in the Mediterranean and South-East climatic zones in 2007, including Italy.
Within 90 minutes of hatching, the young larvae (caterpillars) begin to burrow into the leaves of the crop plants. They will then ‘mine’ and progressively graze the leaf from inside the lamina, leaving dark ‘frass’ behind them.
The pest infests both industrial tomatoes and salad tomatoes, in the field and under protected conditions. For Italy, where the pest is present throughout the country, this is a serious problem as there are approximately 65,200 hectares of industrial tomatoes and 25,000 hectares of salad tomatoes grown annually with approximately 7,500 hectares of tomatoes grown under protection (i.e., greenhouse/polythene tunnel/shading) .
Without effective control measures, the tomato crop can easily be destroyed within a few weeks with estimated losses of €350,000/hectare in Europe. Losses due to fruit damage can sometimes exceed €55,000/hectare.
About SPEAR LEP
SPEAR LEP (containing the active substance GS-omega/kappa-HxTx-Hv1a) is Vestaron’s novel, peptide-based bioinsecticide for fruits, vegetables and other high-value crops in the field. Based on naturally occurring peptides from spider venom, SPEAR LEP targets lepidopteran pests such as tomato leafminer, European grape vine moth, coddling moth, loopers, and caterpillars, field trials with SPEAR LEP show performance that is equivalent to conventional insecticides. With a unique mode of action (IRAC group 32), SPEAR LEP has no known resistance or cross-resistance and can be used as a standalone or in rotation with conventional insecticides. SPEAR LEP is an excellent resistance and integrated pest management tool and is soft on pollinators and other beneficials.
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