DESCRIPTION
Natural, safe means for increasing growth on key crops such as wheat and cocoa and/or to fight common insect pests and diseases such as fusarium head blight in wheat and Vascular Streak Dieback black pod, pink disease and witches' broom in cocoa.
BACKGROUND
Optimizing the soil microbiome has been shown to increase the nitrogen fixing capability of the microbes found in the root system of the plant. This is of particular relevance to Cocoa and Wheat. There are natural compounds currently on the market that can successfully control diseases and pests. One successful example produces peanuts with a reduced level of aflatoxin through the application of a competitive strain of A. flavus. This strain is not capable of making the aflatoxin and out-competes the toxin-producing strains naturally present thereby lowering levels to 3% of what it would otherwise be in shelled, edible-grade peanuts. In many cases it is thought that the natural pesticides have sufficient efficacy but with the added advantage of much lower levels of detrimental side effects compared to the standard synthetic chemicals. As such, many consumers see them as having stronger credentials for environmental safety and personal safety.
KEY SUCCESS CRITERIA
POSSIBLE APPROACHES
Liquid or dry formats
WHAT WE AREN'T INTERESTED IN
Materials with very short shelf life or those that require a controlled supply chain
PREFERRED COLLABORATION TYPES
We are open to most types such as Research, Development Contract, Licensing, Joint Development and Supply
