Ghent, BELGIUM – 2 September 2024, 07:00 CEST – Biotalys (Euronext: BTLS) an Agricultural Technology (AgTech) company developing protein-based biocontrols for sustainable crop protection, today announced it received approval by the Dutch regulator CTGB (College voor de Toelating van Gewasbeschermingsmiddelen en Biociden) for large-scale demonstration trials in greenhouses of its first biofungicide candidate, EVOCA™*. Importantly, the harvested fruits and vegetables can be sold for human consumption.

Jeannette Vriend, Plant protection specialist at Dutch growers association Glastuinbouw Nederland, said: “We are very pleased that this innovative technology can now be tested at large scale by growers. Given the many challenges to adequately control fungal diseases in tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries, due to a sharply shrinking crop protection product package, we really need the acceleration of new, green solutions. These trials offer an ideal opportunity to properly implement such solutions in these high-value integrated crops.”

The CTGB granted Biotalys the approval to test EVOCA against powdery mildew in 40 hectares of tomatoes, 20 hectares of cucumbers and 10 hectares of strawberries. Produce from these greenhouse trials is allowed to be sold for human consumption, an exemption to standard practices requiring crop destruction when a crop protection product is used that has not yet received regulatory approval.**

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