New product called Cedroz from Eden Reseach will be used to protect crops from worsening impact of wireworms
Sustainable biopesticide developer Eden Research has been given temporary approval for one of its products to be used on potatoes in Greece for the 2024 season.
The biopesticide, named Cedroz, will be distributed in Greece by US firm Eastman Chemical and applied to potatoes to control wireworms.
Wireworms are the larvae of click beetles and cause damage to potatoes by forming a mass of holes and mini tunnels on the vegetable.
The pest is becoming increasingly problematic in many crops and regions. According to Eden Research, growers have very few options (mostly synthetic insecticides) to minimise its negative impact.
The wireworm-infected area of potatoes in Greece is around 5,000-6,000 hectares. As such, Eden research sees “a sizeable, commercial opportunity for Cedroz, beyond its consolidated uses, as a post-planting nematicide in horticultural crops”.
CEO of Eden Research, Sean Smith, said: “The granting of this temporary approval indicates that there are no other commercially available, viable alternatives to Cedroz for this particular use.”
He added: “We have seen in previous trials, and even under a previously granted temporary approval in Italy on wireworms, that the product works well. As such, we are confident that there is a strong business case for this use.”
