15 March 2021
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Biofungicide commercialisation extended
A BOTANICAL-based biofungicide which can attack disease on potato flowers and leaves is to be commercialised in Peru and Mexico.
Botanical Solution Inc (BSI) and Syngenta are jointly commercialising the BSI product, which has already been successfully commercialised in Chile, where it is now widely used, under the trade name Botristop.
This biofungicide has been field-tested for several years and proven to be highly efficacious and consistent in the prevention and control of Botrytis cinerea. The fungus is an opportunistic pathogen with a wide host range that easily invades stressed, damaged, or senescing tissue. All aboveground portions of the potato plant can be attacked but often disease starts on senescing flowers or damaged leaves.
The biofungicide is based on the extract of Quillaja saponaria Molina, a plant native to Chile. Its modes of action provide growers with a tool for resistance management while meeting strict global MRL guidelines.
BSI CEO Gaston Salinas said: “We grow and extract from baby trees, which we grow in our laboratory facilities, and produce as much as is needed without cutting down a single tree. What’s more, our product leaves no chemical residue whatsoever.”
In 2019, Syngenta launched BotriStop in Chile and both Companies have recently agreed to further plans for distribution throughout Peru and Mexico.
Syngenta’s Federico Gonzalez, Marketing Head Chile, said: “BotriStop is a sustainable product, in line with Syngenta’s philosophy, and perfectly complements our portfolio in order to meet the needs of producers.”
Diego Ibanez , BSI’s Territory Manager said: “Today, much of our operation is in Chile, but soon we’ll be working with Syngenta in Peru, Mexico and other markets as we move forward with our first biofungicide and launch new products from BSI’s innovative pipeline of botanical-based extracts for sustainable agriculture.”
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