Biotalys scores approval for EVOCA in the Netherlands, boosting fruit and vegetable crop protection

02 Sep 2024 --- Biotalys, an AgTech company developing protein-based biocontrols for sustainable crop protection, has received approval for large-scale demonstration trials in greenhouses of its first biofungicide candidate, EVOCA. Notably, the harvested fruits and vegetables can be sold for human consumption.

Currently, EVOCA is pending registration. This product is not registered for sale or use in the US, the EU or elsewhere and is not being offered for sale.

Jeannette Vriend, plant protection specialist at the Dutch growers association Glastuinbouw Nederland, says: “This innovative technology can now be tested at a 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 need the acceleration of new, green solutions.”

“These trials offer an ideal opportunity to properly implement such solutions in these high-value integrated crops,” she shares.

Tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberry crops

Dutch regulator CTGB (College voor de Toelating van Gewasbeschermingsmiddelen en Biociden) approved Biotalys’s testing of EVOCA against powdery mildew on 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 that has not yet received regulatory approval is used.

Eva Van Hende, head of Regulatory and Sustainability of Biotalys, adds: “The ability to test EVOCA in large-scale demonstration trials while allowing the sale of the harvested produce for consumption reinforces our confidence that the product is safe to use.”

“This decision by the Dutch authority is particularly relevant as the Netherlands is both the rapporteur Member State for our regulatory dossier at the European level and one of the largest exporters of fruits and vegetables worldwide.”

Protein-based biofungicide

EVOCA is a novel protein-based biofungicide that earned an entirely new resistance classification by the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC). 

The product helps control the fungal diseases of botrytis and powdery mildew in fruits and vegetables. 

The company notes that to date, EVOCA has demonstrated strong performance in trials across multiple regions, climates, soil types, production types, pathogen pressure and crops. It is currently under review by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the CTGB in the EU for regulatory approval. 

EVOCA will pave the way for EVOCA NG, which is expected to be Biotalys’ first commercial fungicide from its AGROBODY technology platform.