TERI, and DBT license Bollcure bio-pesticide for manufacturing

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), and the department of biotechnology have facilitated the second technology transfer for Bollcure, a plant extract based bio-pesticide formulation developed by TERI, and to be manufactured by Secunderabad-basd Pasura Biotech Pvt. Ltd, to whom Teri has licenced patent rights for a 10-year period.

Pasura is an agro-biotechnology company specialising in product-oriented research, development, and manufacturing of organic and biological agricultural inputs.

Bollcure is a Eucalyptus extract and it is 100-per cent environment friendly, suitable for conventional, organic, Bt cotton and integrated pest management crop practices, apart from its mild anti-feedancy. It works against cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), a common larvae affecting cotton crop yield, and a host of other economically important crops such as pigeonpea, chickpea, tomato, sunflower, etc.

Having a host range of more than 181 plant species, bollworm is currently the most difficult insect to control because of its developed resistance to most of the commercially available insecticides. Due to the insect's resistant nature towards pesticides, it has led to economic burdens on to the farmers.

TERI plans to share this eco- friendly and effective pesticide with other companies, government bodies and farmers to protect economically important crops such as cotton, pigeonpea, chickpea, tomato, sunflower, etc. to reduce their wastage that contributes to the scarcity of food security and affects the profits of the farmers producing it.