Oxford's Eden Research makes regulatory application for seed treatment in UK

By Tom Kilkelly

4 July 2023

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Oxford-based sustainable biopesticides company Eden Research has announced that it has applied for the authorisation of its seed treatment product, Ecovelex, in the UK.

Ecovelex was developed by both Eden and Corteva Agriscience over the course of the past three years. It is intended to replace conventional chemicals banned in the EU and UK and has been 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 science is based on Eden's plant-derived chemistry and formulated through the company's 'Sustaine' microencapsulation system.

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CEO of Eden Research plc Sean Smith said: "Following our three-year collaborative development efforts with Corteva, we are pleased to be pursuing regulatory clearance in our home country. I am particularly proud of our Oxfordshire-based team that led the technical development of Ecovelex, and we can truly say that this is a home-grown solution to a problem that impacts farmers in the UK and elsewhere every year. Eden's collaboration with Corteva Agriscience over the past several years has been highly productive, and I am pleased to see the first commercial benefits from these activities within reach.

In late May 2023, Eden submitted the regulatory dossier and application to Austria, who will act as the interzonal rapporteur member state on behalf of the EU. Review and authorisation can take between 18 and 24 months, with each EU member state then able to ratify the authorisation or require additional information before granting local authorisations. It is anticipated that review and eventual authorisation in the UK will take a similar amount of time, though it should be noted that the pace of regulatory actions is controlled by the relevant authorities with whom Eden will work to ensure that we are able to bring our effective, sustainable solution to the aid of farmers affected by bird damage to their crops as quickly as possible."

By Tom Kilkelly

Tom Kilkelly started working as a freelance journalist for The Business Magazine following his graduation from UCL in 2022.

During his studies Tom became very interested in the works of Irish authors including Samuel Beckett and Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan).

His current role as a freelance business reporter is his first exposure to the world of business journalism. Working at TBM has given Tom the chance to really get to grips with the goings-on in the business hive that is the South East.