Environment

M2i: a greener method of pest control

The pine processionary moth is a pest that attacks, strips and weakens pine and cedar trees. It also causes skin irritations and allergic reactions in humans, and animal deaths. Present in 9 million hectares of forest around the Mediterranean, since the 1990s the moth has been moving northwards, reaching northern France. Existing ways of tackling it have shown their limitations. But one French firm has come up with a new solution.

A leader in pheromone use for pest management, M2i was aware of the shortcomings of the main means of eradicating the pine proces-sionary moth through pesticides or removing nests manually. As M2i Communication and Development Director, Johann Fournil tells us, ‘Pheromones are substances secreted by insects that enable them to interact with others of the same species in order to gather together, mate or flee. They are an efficient and economical method that support transitions to more ecolog-ically sound models as they are selective [have no impact on other species], non-toxic and don’t allow pests to develop resistance.’

Using pheromones for pest control is often done by luring insects into traps. But this is hard to put into practice for the pine proces-sionary moth, as it requires traps to be set five metres high in every infected tree.

M2i devised a way of controlling the moth’s spread by disrupting mating. A pheromone gel is put in a pellet made of natural wax, which is fired into the tree canopy. It releases pheromones for four months, covering the entire mating season.

‘By reproducing pheromones in a laboratory using biomim-icry and developing innovative diffusion methods, M2i has created a way of fighting pests by drawing them in and trap-ping them, or by confusing them so as to prevent their repro-duction and spread,’ explains Mr Fournil.

The pine processionary moth affects a quarter of France’s pines. M2i has already used the pellets – which are biodegradable within 2-3 months – to protect green spaces and forests.

Leaving no residue on trees and causing no groundwater or soil pollution, the pellets support biodiversity and are not harmful to the people who apply them or local residents. Trials in 2015 and 2016 by the French National Agronomic Institute have demonstrated their effectiveness.

Only 100-200 paintballs have to be shot per hectare from the ground. This makes the system cheap and easy to use in forests, parks or gardens, and over small or large areas. It contributes to resource efficiency by replacing aerial spraying or use of turbines that consume water and fuel.

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AWARDS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

WINNER OF PROCESS AWARD

The 2016-17 shortlisted companies for the Process Award are:

• Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH (Germany)

for The sunliquid® process;

• Direct Current BV (Netherlands) for DC grids, the missing

link to a sustainable future;

• M2i Life Sciences (France) for Pheromonal mating disruption

through paintball against the pine processionary moth;

• VESTEL Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. (Turkey) for the

Environmentally-friendly Nano chrome coating system in LCD TV

and smartphone manufacturing industries.

The method can be easily replicated for use on other pests. Variants are being prepared for the codling moth, the walnut moth, the oak processionary moth, the box tree moth and the olive tree moth.

Founded in 2012, M2i employs 110 staff at four sites in France and is present in 25 countries. Innovation to protect the environment is at the heart of the company’s work which covers three sectors of activity: plant biocontrol, animal biocontrol, and pharmaceuticals and fine chemistry. ‘With 12 patents in three years, M2i focuses on innovation and advanced technology to promote “made in Europe” solutions as an alternative to traditional pesticides. Our aim is to favour methods that are risk-free for the public, and that preserve biodiversity and ecosystems for a healthier environment and healthier food,’ says Johann Fournil.

Thanks to its success in inventing new products M2i has been able to hire 25 people for its research and development centre, of which 13 have joined since 2014. Along with France, the pellets are now on the market in Algeria, Israel, Morocco and Turkey.

At the 2016-17 European Business Awards for the Environment, where M2i received the award in the Process category, the jury noted the company’s role in developing pheromone-based pest manage-ment to protect crops without recourse to pesticides. In particular, the jury recognised M2i’s work to stop the spread of the pine proces-sionary moth.

The Process Award

The Process Award is for successful application of innovative pro-duction processes. This can involve application of a new process or innovative application of an existing technique.

Either way, the solution should make a positive contribution to the environmental aspect of sustainability, while also benefiting the economic and social aspects. This could be by using materials or energy more efficiently, minimising use of hazardous substances or reducing emissions and waste.