BioFun-6, company’s second biocontrol program showed excellent efficacy against Botrytis and powdery mildew in fruits and vegetables.
Biotalys (Euronext Brussels: BTLS), an Agricultural Technology (AgTech) company developing protein-based biocontrol solutions for sustainable crop protection, announced strong performance from initial field trials with one of its lead candidates for BioFun-6, the company’s second biocontrol program against Botrytis and powdery mildew in fruits and vegetables.
The trial results demonstrated that the BioFun-6 AGROBODYTM candidate is an effective tool to protect crops against these key pathogens, at significantly lower dose rates than currently applicable for EVOCA™*, the company’s first biofungicide.
Kevin Helash, CEO of Biotalys, said: “We are very pleased with the outcome of these promising field trials, which further validate the potential of our AGROBODY technology platform to deliver highly effective protein-based crop protection solutions. The data support BioFun-6’s efficacy in controlling fungi at significantly reduced dosage rates, — a key milestone toward our goal of offering cost-effective, sustainable products to growers across diverse crops and pathogens. I’m incredibly proud of what our team has achieved and grateful for their dedication, bringing us closer to monetizing our portfolio while creating value for our growers, partners, and shareholders.”
The trials were commissioned by Biotalys and conducted in Europe and the U.S. by external contract research organisations (CRO’s). The BioFun-6 AGROBODY candidate was tested at different dose rates in grapes against Botrytis (grey mold), and in cucumbers and tomatoes against powdery mildew. BioFun-6 was compared with synthetic and biological solutions, both in a standard spray rotation program and as a stand-alone treatment.
The results showed that the BioFun-6 AGROBODY biocontrol can achieve the same level of performance as EVOCA at significantly lower dosage rates, highlighting the increased potency of the new candidate. When applied at 2/3 the dose rate of EVOCA, the tested BioFun-6 candidate proved to be a valid substitution to leading chemical products against Botrytis in grapes. Applied at half the dose rate of EVOCA, the tested candidate maintained the same disease suppression as EVOCA against powdery mildew in cucumber and outperformed a standard biological fungicide. ** The first set of trials in tomatoes showed similar results.
Biotalys’ BioFun-6 program is addressing a current market of more than USD billion 1.2 in Europe and the US combined. The global market for biofungicides and bioinsecticides is expected to grow by approximately 12% per year, reaching more than USD 17 billion in 2030, representing nearly a quarter of the total market for fungicides and insecticides. *** Biotalys plans to test various BioFun-6 AGROBODY lead candidates in the field throughout 2025, while further assessing their producibility and scalability.
