Biological control (biocontrol), or sustainable plant protection, is used more and more in the wine industry. It is, of course, a consequence of the fact that organic and sustainable viticulture is becoming more common.
Biocontrol is methods of protecting the crop with natural mechanisms. The active substance must be found in nature or be extracted from a natural substance. It can also be synthetically made products that are identical to the natural ones. The idea of biological control is to get a balance, e.g. among the insects that are bothering you, instead of eradicating them.
Sulphur, copper and sexual confusion are all well-known biological control products/methods. Other types of products are based on microorganisms and macro-organisms. Microorganisms are bacteria, viruses and fungi that protect against pests and diseases. They can also stimulate the vitality of the plant.
Macro-organisms are nematodes, insects or spiders that are used against pests. Biological control products, like all plant protection products in the EU, must be approved for use. But today they have an accelerated approval process. They are, however, not automatically approved for organic farming.
Read more: https://agriculture.gouv.fr/quest-ce-que-le-biocontrole
