S138: Solid state fermentation for production of mycoinsecticides

The historical and current state of solid state production of mycoinsecticides ranges from labor intensive fermentation, typically in spawn bags to capital intensive production in solid state fermenters. One aspect that separates this technology from other solid state fermentation processes is that the end product is a live spore, rather than an extracted metabolite, requiring specific handling considerations. In addition, these products are often used in regulated products requiring strict contaminant and quality specifications. There have been some recent advances in solid state production using more controlled conditions available with the capitol intensive model. Liquid fermentation as an alternative method of production has been for the most part unsuccessful for these products because the resulting spores are generally insufficiently stable. Perspectives on criteria used by industry for selecting among the production options will be presented.