About AgriSense
About Us
AgriSense sits among the industrial valleys of South Wales, a region of spectacular scenery, castles and good hospitality. We are a major developer and manufacturer of bio-rational insect pest monitoring and control products based on pheromones and other attractants for the Agricultural, Industrial and Home and Garden market sectors. The company has developed expertise in specific technology areas:
- Insect behavior modifying chemicals (semiochemicals, attractants, and repellents)
- Controlled release technology for semiochemicals and other volatile compounds
- Insect glue technology
- Trap design
Our specialty is in the development and commercialization of semiochemical-based products for monitoring and controlling insect pests in agriculture, food processing and storage.
Semiochemicals are "message carrying" chemicals that are used in nature for communication between living organisms. Pheromones are the best-known group of semiochemicals and operate between individuals of the same species, bringing them together for mating, feeding, swarming, etc. AgriSense has developed ways of using these naturally occurring chemicals to gain more accurate knowledge of pest populations (detection and population monitoring) and to control pest outbreaks through disrupting their mating or by luring the target insects to conventional pesticides (attract and kill methods). For more information refer to AgriSense Technologies.
AgriSense branded products are sold via national distribution and marketing partners in key agriculture and industrial sectors worldwide, while private label products are also available to customers within the home and garden sector. In addition to this the company also supplies numerous national government insect pest-monitoring programs.
90% of AgriSense products are exported to all five continents for which the company has received the prestigious "Queen's Award for Export Achievement" twice. AgriSense is a limited company registered in Wales (Company reg. no. 1835431).
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is at the centre of our business. We specialize in establishing programs for growers and farmers that both justify the use of and integrate the best of conventional chemical pesticides with biological controls.
AgriSense has a strong technical group with knowledge of chemistry, controlled release formulation, applied entomology, and regulatory affairs. AgriSense has been and is the commercial partner in several EU and UK Government funded programs concerning the development of semiochemical based pest control products and has expertise and facilities to collaborate with customers to develop new product ideas into reality.
History
Wales-based AgriSense was established in 1984, as Biological Control Systems Ltd, by Dr Owen Jones, University College Cardiff and Leiner Gelatins Ltd. Expanding rapidly, in 1988, BCS was acquired by the newly formed US joint venture between Phillips Petroleum and Dow Corning, AgriSense and the UK division, AgriSense-BCS Ltd. was formed. Combining the partners' strengths in pheromone and controlled release technology, resulted in several innovations in pheromone delivery appearing in the following years. AgriSense-BCS became a subsidiary company of Biosys in 1993, Thermo Trilogy Corp. in 1997 and the Mitsui group in 2001. AgriSense has been part of the Suterra group since May 2006.