Recent events are providing a powerful reminder that aphids remain a major challenge for modern agriculture. A severe 2026 aphid outbreak in the United Kingdom is expected to render approximately 30 million heads of lettuce unusable, with grower losses estimated at £10 million. Such outbreaks highlight both the economic importance of aphids and the continuing need for innovative, effective control technologies.
The crop-protection industry is responding. In August 2026, Aphea.Bio announced a strategic research partnership with Bayer specifically focused on developing new biological insecticides against sap-feeding insects. The companies cited insecticide resistance and regulatory restrictions among the factors creating demand for new solutions.
Conventional chemistry is advancing as well. BASF has introduced afidopyropen (Inscalis®) for piercing-sucking pests including aphids and whiteflies, while its newer Axalion® Active represents another novel mode of action targeting these economically important pests. Axalion has been progressively introduced into markets worldwide and is the sole member of IRAC Group 36.
Quant-Agro helps innovators evaluate the next generation of aphid-control technologies.
Our controlled-environment Myzus persicae bioassays provide rapid, quantitative evaluation of conventional chemistries, biologicals, microbial products and metabolites, peptides, RNAi technologies, formulations, and other experimental approaches.
With year-round testing and meaningful results available in as little as 10–14 days, Quant-Agro can help identify promising leads, compare rates and formulations, and move innovative aphid-control solutions toward the next stage of development.
