GENEVA, Switzerland: Eden Research plc has applied for the authorization of Ecovelex™ in the EU, with application in the UK to follow, with Corteva Agriscience as its distribution partner.

Eden is an AIM listed company that develops and supplies sustainable solutions for crop protection, animal health and consumer products.

Developed by Corteva Agriscience and Eden over three years, Ecovelex represents a new entrant into the seed treatment market and is intended to replace conventional chemicals banned in the EU and UK. It was developed to tackle crop destruction caused by birds – a major cause of losses in maize and other crops.

Ecovelex works by affecting the bird’s olfactory system, creating an unpleasant taste or odour that repels the birds, leaving the seeds safely intact and the birds unaffected and free to find alternative food sources.

The product is based on plant-derived chemistry and formulated using Eden’s Sustaine® microencapsulation system, supporting farmers as they strive to meet consumer demands for more sustainable agriculture.

André Negreiros, EMEA Seed Applied Technologies Lead at Corteva Agriscience, said: “After several years of focused and productive collaboration, we are pleased to be reaching the commercialization of Ecovelex. Every year, farmers face heavy losses caused by birds, and recent regulatory changes have meant that the conventional approaches to combating crop damage are no longer available.

“The solution we have developed with Eden offers farmers an effective and safe alternative whilst representing a huge step forward in sustainability by using plant chemistry. Eden’s team has done an excellent job of helping us tackle this tremendous market opportunity, and we look forward to expanding upon this work in the future.”

Sean Smith, Eden CEO, said: “Eden’s collaboration with Corteva Agriscience over the past several years has been highly productive, and I am pleased to see the first real commercial benefits from these activities within reach.

“Together, we are bringing another safe and effective seed treatment to market in near record time through efficient, open collaboration and a real ‘win-win’ approach.  We will enjoy the rewards of this successful collaboration jointly, but it is the farmers who will also win as we will be providing them with a new tool for improving crop yields, safely and sustainably.”

Eden has submitted the dossier and application to Austria, who will act as the interzonal rapporteur member state on behalf of the EU. Review and authorization can take between 18 and 24 months, with each EU member state then able to ratify the authorization or require additional information before granting local authorizations.

In addition to their work on Ecovelex, Corteva Agriscience and Eden have been engaged in widespread collaborations including on the appointment of Corteva as Eden’s distribution partner in France for Eden’s fungicide product, Mevalone®.