The rapidly spreading pest of Western Corn Rootworm (WCR) is a major threat for corn production within the EU and other affected countries. At the end of the project the available and used products on the market against WCR still show limited effectiveness, are highly toxic and harmful for the environment and beneficial insects. CORNPROTECT from Lithos brings the urgently needed, effective solution for farmers who want to save their yield while at the same time it meets the societies demand for harmless, non-toxic and sustainable products in the field of plant production. Since sustainable agriculture brings benefits for climate change and the environment, it is a solution that also meets the objectives of the EC. The new and unique Lithos Micro Dispenser Technology® makes the proven method of mating disruption possible in arable farming. For the society this is important to have a solution for naturally safe corn harvest and no negative impact on the environment. Furthermore, it benefits from the innovation if other pests are controlled and combated in the same way in the future.
The project’s main objective was to bridge the remaining gap to commercial deployment by optimizing the current formulation, scaling up existing production and registering CORNPROTECT as plant protection product. All the trials during the project brought relevant knowledge to the existing one to increase the effectiveness of the current formulation. Further insights also made it possible to achieve an increase of the production volume. With regards to the registration of CORNPROTECT, Lithos reached a milestone by submitting the dossier of the active ingredient (brand name “pherolit-d®”) during the project. After the approval from the commission, Lithos will go on with the second stage of plant protection registration. This is a longer process that will continue after the end of the project. In order to be prepared for a wide market, partnerships for distribution in several countries were established.
In conclusion, the project was successful because all objectives were achieved while at the same time the budget was used efficiently. Furthermore, Lithos ensures that the work on CORNPROTECT and Lithos Micro Dispenser Technology for other Semiochemical applications are being continued.
