With the publication of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 354/2013 on 9 April, the European Commission approved the use of the active substance Laminarin as a biocide. It is a polysaccharide extracted from the seaweed Laminaria digitata whose manipulation meets the rules set by the Organic Production regulations.
In Spain, Laminarin is marketed as a fungicide under the name Vacciplant and was presented by ARAGONESAS AGRO in partnership with Laboratoires Goemar during the 33th Conference on Plant Protection Products organised by IQS in 2011. The product is registered for use against powdery mildew in strawberries, mottling in apples and fire blight in apple and pear trees. It should soon also be approved for use against botrytis in vegetables and mildew in lettuce.
The substance is "perfectly safe for humans, but also for the fauna, flora and the environment, making it an ideal fungicide to reduce the use of products with a higher environmental impact," says ARAGONESAS AGRO. Vacciplant "controls botrytis and mildew, two of the major fungal diseases, which require intensive and repeated treatment, without leaving any residues. Furthermore, it is particularly suitable for crops where no phytosanitary fungicides can be used, such as minor and organic crops."
Laminarin is marketed as soluble concentrate and the recommended dose is 0.75 l/ha. It is advised to apply it as a foliar spray after the appearance of the first symptoms, alternated with other fungicides, and to continue applying the product to protect new shoots and fruits, with up to 7 applications per year at intervals of 10 days.
Source: agroquimica.es
