An insightful day dedicated to biological control in Wallonia

On 27 May 2026, a day dedicated to biocontrol took place at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, followed by a visit to field trials in Lonzée. This event was organised by the Fédération Wallonne de l’Agriculture (FWA), in collaboration with IIS Digibiocontrol.

Organised around the theme “Biocontrol in agriculture: barriers, drivers and prospects”, the event brought together researchers, support organisations, companies, farmers and institutional stakeholders to discuss more sustainable solutions for crop protection.

In this context, Biocontrol 4.0 also contributed to the organisation of the day and to the exchanges with Walloon actors in the biocontrol sector, in line with the objectives of the project portfolio.

The first part of the day, dedicated to presentations, provided an overview of biocontrol in Wallonia, addressing current barriers, development drivers, and scientific and technical prospects to support its deployment in the field. Contributions from the FWA, Valbiom, IIS Digibiocontrol and CRA-W helped to better understand regional challenges and the needs of agricultural sectors. The day also provided an opportunity to present ongoing research, with contributions from ULiège, UCLouvain, CARAH and CRA-W. These exchanges highlighted the importance of scientific research in assessing the effectiveness of biocontrol solutions and supporting their integration into agricultural practices.

An important moment of the event was the contribution of a farmers’ representative, which helped reconnect the discussions with the realities on the ground. This field feedback reminded participants that the adoption of biocontrol also depends on the accessibility, reliability and compatibility of solutions with the practical constraints of farms.

Two Walloon companies, FytoFend and Agricells, also presented their activities in the field of biosolutions. FytoFend presented its solutions based on COS-OGA technology, while Agricells presented its Agricells Growth® range, composed of biostimulants based on a strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens AG002/2. These contributions highlighted the role of companies in transferring research results into solutions adapted to field needs.

The day continued in Lonzée with a visit to Cepicop trials dedicated to biostimulants, biofungicides and biopesticides. This field visit helped connect the discussions held during the presentations with experimental results, and highlighted the importance of agronomic trials in supporting the evaluation of biocontrol solutions.

This meeting showed the importance of strengthening exchanges between the different actors involved, from research to the field, in order to better support the development of biocontrol.