Plant Health Care signs agreement to conduct PREtec trials with Agrii

Plant Health Care PLC on Monday said it has entered a trials agreement with Agrii UK Ltd, under which Agrii will evaluate Plant Health's PREtec technology.

"PREtec is a novel class of technology which stimulates a plants' immune system to defend itself from a variety of abiotic stresses to improve plant health and yield," the North Carolina-based agricultural products firm explained.

Plant Health said that preliminary studies indicate promising results, with PREtec products in potatoes resulting in "improved" potato qualify and yield. It also has a "significantly" lower environmental impact compared to other agrochemical treatments.

The company said that Agrii will conduct field trials of PREtec products on UK potatoes, in combination with a novel Agrii fertilizer blend.

Agrii is a provider of crop inputs, agronomy advice and services to arable, fruit and vegetable growers in the UK.

If the trials are successful, Plant Health said it will look at opportunities to bring the product to market in 2023.

Plant Health said that pressure on farmers to move to more sustainable practices is "very strong" in Europe, making it one of the largest markets for biological products. The beginning of these trials is therefore a "key step" for the company to launch a PREtec product in Europe.

Chief Executive Officer Jeff Tweedy said: ‟Plant Health Care has had a long-term successful relationship with Agrii for the distribution of our ProAct product.

"I am very pleased now to continue the relationship to include trials for PREtec-based fertilizer products and explore the full potential of this new opportunity with a leading distributor in the agriculture sector in the UK."