Eden Research announces Ecovelex™ 2024 approval in Italy

Eden Research plc ("Eden") announces that Ecovelex™ 2024 has been granted, according to Reg. EU/1107/2009, approval in Italy for use as a bird repellent seed treatment in corn for the 2025 growing season. Eden is a leader in sustainable biopesticide and biocontrol products and technologies.

Developed by Eden, Ecovelex represents a new entrant into the seed treatment market and is a replacement for conventional chemicals that are not approved in the EU and UK. It was developed to safely tackle crop destruction caused by birds - a major cause of losses in maize and other crops. 

Ecovelex works by emitting an unpleasant taste or odour that repels birds, leaving the seeds safely intact and the birds unaffected and free to find alternative food sources.

The product, developed by Eden at its Oxfordshire facility, is based on Eden's plant-derived chemistry, registered in the EU, US and elsewhere, and formulated using Eden's Sustaine® plastic-free microencapsulation system. It is designed to support farmers as they strive to meet consumer and regulatory demands for more sustainable agriculture.

In 2023, Eden submitted the regulatory dossier and application to Austria, which will act as the interzonal rapporteur member state on behalf of the EU. Review and authorization is expected to 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.

Sean Smith, Eden CEO, said, "As a developer of crop protection products which use innovative plant-derived chemistry, Eden is delighted that its partnership with one of the industry's leading companies continues to produce results that benefit farmers, the environment, and ultimately, consumers.

I believe that today's news is a strong endorsement of its performance over the past year, helping farmers protect their crops against bird infestation in a sustainable manner. It also provides a clear indication that there is a need amongst the farming community for an alternative, sustainable solution which can act as a direct replacement for conventional seed treatments."