Challenges of Technology Transfer: from Research to Implementation

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A 30-Year Effort to Develop the Mole Cricket
Nematode Product, Nematac S 
Norman C. Leppla Jennifer L. Gillett
Eda Reinot
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Mole Cricket Damage
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Chemical Control

• Mole cricket damage and chemical control cost
  100 million annually in the S.E. United States.
• Chemicals are too expensive for use on pasture
  land.
• Mole crickets rebound in most treated areas.
• Concern about non-target effects of chemicals.

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Mole Cricket State Program

• Objective To conduct research and demonstration
  projects that will widely distribute the
  entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema
  scapterisci, in Florida determine its
  establishment, rate of spread and impact on
  Scapteriscus spp. mole crickets and support its
  commercialization.

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Bayh-Dole Act of 1980

• Created more than 260 university TLOs
• Connected academic research to the nations
  innovation and RD capacity
• Provided a strong incentive for
  industry-university research collaborations and
  industrial investment

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Technology Licensing
Bridges the gap between science and products!
Science
Products
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Benefits of Technology Licensing

• Protects venture capitalists
• Moves discoveries to market
• Forms industrial partnerships
• Attracts research funding
• Places graduates in rewarding jobs
• Earns royalty income

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Commercial Biological Control

• Rearing and handling equipment
• Materials for manipulating organisms
• Diets and processing chemicals
• Rearing and application methods
• Specific uses for natural enemies
• New organisms

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Technology Transfer for Publicly-Funded
Biological Control Products
Public Domain
Public Domain
Patented
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In vitro Nematode Production
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Application of Nematodes
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Seasonal Distribution of Mole Cricket Stages
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Biological Control of Mole Crickets in Florida by
the Nematode
Mean Number of Mole Crickets Trapped
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Nematode Applications

• Nematac S- 2001 2002
• 80 billion nematodes
• 32 counties
• Education training
• Nematode diagnostics
• Nematode survey
• Refined methods
• Establish spread

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Pasture Evaluations
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Mole Cricket Nematode in Florida

• 6 months- 80 mole crickets infected
• 1 year- infected mole crickets spread nematodes
  across the pasture
• 3 years-
• 85 decline in mole crickets
• 40-95 recovery of bahiagrass
• 20-35 infected mole crickets

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Pasture condition in 2002 2 yr after nematode
application 95 grass canopy ground cover
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• Pasture and Sod Farms
• UAP Florida
• Helena
• ProSource One
• Diamond R Fertilizer
• Lykes AgriSales
• Ben Hill Griffin Fertilizer

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Do You Need Mole Cricket Nematodes?

• Do you have significant mole cricket problems in
  your pastures? Yes
• Would you use Nematac S with technical assistance
  from Becker Underwood and UF/IFAS? Yes
• Are you willing to pay up to 50 per acre for
  both the product and application? No
• Would you prefer to pay 25 per acre and borrow
  the application equipment from the Florida
  Cattlemens Association? Yes

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Potential Actions to Increase Sales of Nematac S

• Re-establish commercial application of the
  nematode.
• Keep the cost to 25 - 50 per acre, perhaps by
  providing access to application equipment.
• Provide customer service by applicator or
  supplier to assure that the nematodes are used
  effectively.
• Increase Extension/Becker Underwood activities to
  promote Nematac S, especially field
  demonstrations.
• Establish a mechanism to anticipate seasonal
  orders for Nematac S, e.g.,damage thresholds.

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http//ipm.ifas.ufl.edu