ProLarix · Botanical plant Protection agent from Larix by-products

The main objective of ProLarix is to facilitate the translation of an innovation developed under FP7 project ForestSpeCs from an intriguing concept to a business model for European SMEs in forestry and the agricultural sector.The potential use of bioactive extracts of by-products of the forest industry was evaluated under FP7 project ForestSpecs. Constituents of Larix by-products (‘Larixyne’) were demonstrated to have a high potential to be developed into a fungicide (plant protection product, PPP) with (i) high efficacy against a key disease of agriculture, (ii) an favourable environmental profile with respect to environmental impact and use of renewable resources, as well as (iii) a high potential to generate added value in the forest industry and European production of ‘smart’ crop protection technologies.Bringing potential plant protection products to the market necessitates substantial investments in the development of the registration dossier and market development. It is therefore essential to provide a priori information in order to predict the scale of investments as well as the time needed for registration of a novel PPP under EU legislation.ProLarix will therefore (i) pilot production and uses of Larixyne, (ii) validate efficacy and demonstrate its value as a PPP in European grapevine production systems, (iii) demonstrate the avenue to large scale production of high quality product, (iv) fill in data gaps and provide an initial data set to be used for future registration and (v) develop a road map for the development of a full dossier and capture of the market.