1. WHAT IS BIO-PESTICIDE?
A compound that kills organisms by virtue of specific biological effects
rather than as a broader chemical poison
Differ from biocontrol agents in being passive agents, whereas biocontrol agents
actively seek the pest
The rationale behind replacing conventional pesticides with bio-pesticides is that
the latter are more likely to be selective and biodegradable (FAO, 2005)
WHY BIO-PESTICIDES?
Human and environmental safety
Alternatives to conventional pesticides:
25 million cases of acute occupational pesticide poisoning in developing countries each year (WHO, 1990)
14% of all known occupational injuries and 10% of all fatal injuries are caused by pesticides (ILO, 1996)
Obsolete pesticides stored in developing countries - 20,000 tonnes in Africa alone
Amenable to small-scale, local production in developing countries
Address increased public awareness of environmental and food safety
Fundamental component of Integrated Pest Management
Natural enemies protected
Controls pests resistant to conventional pesticides
Products available in small, niche markets that are typically unaddressed by large
agrochemical companies

2. NATURAL BIO-PESTICIDE RESEARCH DEVELOPED BY CEPP
RESEARCH TEAM
PROJECT TITLE: Study of environmental friendly natural bio-pesticide for
agricultural and horticultural application
Sources of natural bio-pesticide: Derris elliptica or locally known as ‘Tuba’
Potential bio-active compound: Rotenone 2 % (w/w) to 4 % (w/w) in dried roots
POTENTIAL PRODUCT APPLICATION
In 2003, a total of 1,500 insecticides were registered in Malaysia including 8
botanical insecticides (pyrethrin) but NONE of rotenone product
IMPORTANT R&D FINDINGS & CLAIMS
The active ingredient, rotenone has been successfully extracted with the efficiency
of 3.5 % (w/w) in dried roots
The rotenone was formulated as conventional emulsifiable formulation. It has
been shown to have higher activity against the diamondback moth; DPM (Plutella
xylostella) compared to conventional insecticides including the resistance strain
Larvae of diamondback moth (DBM): Plutella xylostella
(UPM Serdang, Selangor)

3. CURRENT STATUS OF NATURAL
BIO-PESTICIDE (ROTENONE) RESEARCH
PROJECT
(Since Jun 2000 until 24st April 2006)
Status
Items/Research activities
YES NO
R&D Completed About 80 % have been completed (semi product)*
Prototype Completed Xylene based formulation completed
IP Protection Applied Extraction and formulation procedure**
Industry Partner Identified Yes (Heritage Biotech (M) Sdn. Bhd)
Market Survey Undertaken Yes (Done by Heritage Biotech (M) Sdn. Bhd)
Field Test/Clinical Trial Undertaken Using secondary data, two field tests conducted
Approval From Relevant Authorities No
Research Grant Applied 1) IRPA I - RM 117,000 (2 years)
2) IRPA II - RM 211,000.00 (2 years)
3) INDUSTRIAL GRANT SCHEME (IGS):
RM 1,780,000.00 (2 years) ∴Status: KIV (RM9)
4) Ministry of Finance (MOF) - Bridging Fund
RM 2,685,000.00 (2 years) ∴Status: Internal assessment
5) IRPA III - RM 268,200.00 (2 years) ∴ Status: KIV (RM9)
*Semi product (concentrated liquid crude extract): Yield of rotenoids resin in dried roots: ≅ 9.5 % (w/w).
**Preliminary IP screening and technology assessment have been submitted through RMC, UTM Skudai.