Suterra Celebrates 25 Years of Aerosol Mating Disruption Tech

Suterra, a company offering agricultural biocontrol products that provide sustainable alternatives to traditional pesticides, is celebrating the 25^th anniversary of its patented Puffer aerosol mating disruption technology.

“When we introduced the very first aerosol mating disruption to the ag market 25 years ago, it really was a game changer for control of many very serious pests,” said Andrea Holeman, marketing manager for the Bend, OR-based company. “Since that time, we have introduced several formulations, both conventional and organic, and are still the industry leader in this space.”

Andrea Holeman, Marketing Manager, Suterra

In fact, Suterra has an incredibly robust product development pipeline, with over 90 global projects currently in the works.

“We can’t wait to introduce products for pests and markets that are new to Suterra, bringing our experience and expertise to even more growers,” said Lauren Simpson, product manager for the company. “Recently we released our redesigned vine mealybug dispenser—Celada VMB 180, which will be available in US markets soon, and the grower response has been very positive. The new design took grower feedback into account, and the result is a dispenser that holds on tighter and lasts longer.”

“When we introduced the very first aerosol mating disruption to the ag market 25 years ago, it really was a game changer for control of many very serious pests.” - Andrea Holeman

Suterra offers several mating disruption products that are EPA and/or OMRI Listed "FOR ORGANIC PRODUCTION". These include its CheckMate pheromone dispensers and Puffer aerosols.

“These pheromone products are species specific, making them completely safe for workers and to nontarget species like pollinators,” Simpson said. “Suterra’s pheromone products complement organic growing practices very well.”

Suterra's pheromone dispenser

All of the company’s organic-eligible products have always carried the EPA authorized for organic production label.

“These pheromone products are species specific, making them completely safe for workers and to nontarget species like pollinators. Suterra’s pheromone products complement organic growing practices very well.” - Lauren Simpson

“Recently, we began adding those products to OMRI’s database as well,” Simpson said. “We want to make it as easy as possible for organic growers to utilize our products, and that is one way that we can meet that objective.”

Suterra's CheckMate Puffer

The company secured several OMRI certifications last year for some of its most popular CheckMate products and is excited to get these season-long solutions in growers’ fields in 2023.

“We know that growers have fewer pest control tools every year, increased regulations, and tough export protocols, and we are very proud to offer solutions that can help growers achieve their goals within those constraints,” Simpson said.

Suterra was founded in 1984 and purchased in the ’90s by The Wonderful Company (TWC), the world’s largest grower of pistachios and almonds.

“We know that growers have fewer pest control tools every year, increased regulations, and tough export protocols, and we are very proud to offer solutions that can help growers achieve their goals within those constraints.” - Lauren Simpson

Leading up to the acquisition, TWC had a navel orangeworm problem that caused a great deal of damage and losses. Stewart Resnick, co-owner with his wife Lynda, knew that if he had the problem, other growers must as well—and Suterra’s mating disruption products could be the solution.

“Suterra as it is today was created out of a grower need, and we continue to develop products that meet grower needs every day,” Simpson said. “This year, we will increase our service capacity, especially when it comes to deploying Puffers. We are growing our customer care and grower relations teams to be better partners for our growers. If we continue to listen to growers, to anticipate and solve problems, we will continue to grow.”

Suterra manufactures all components in-house, from the pheromone itself to the final products.

“Although we have also seen supply chain issues and rising costs, we have been able to mitigate those risks through the additional flexibility and control we gain as a vertically integrated company,” Holeman said. “We can adjust our production schedule, allowing us to deliver on time to our growers even with these challenges.”

“If we continue to listen to growers, to anticipate and solve problems, we will continue to grow.” - Lauren Simpson

The company’s philosophy revolves around the idea that they are innovators by nature, for nature. 

“We use nontoxic chemicals that are found in nature to control pest populations,” Holeman said. “Everything we do—from our manufacturing processes to our Clean Orchard Promise—is focused on quality, innovation, and sustainability.”