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Content archived on 2024-04-30

DEVELOPMENT OF PYRETHRE CULTIVATION IN MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE, FOR VALORISATION ON DOMESTIC INSECTICIDE AND PUBLIC HEALTH MARKETS

Objective



Known since antiquity, natural pyrethrins were the first insecticides used by man. Today, because of their total harmlessness to man and domestic animals and their excellent bio-degradability, they remain the reference point as active materials in the field of domestic use, body hygiene, animal health and biological agriculture - all fields where the consumer and EU regulations - encourage the use of 'clean' insecticides, preferably of natural origin. Once a native crop, cultivation of Pyrethrum historically deserted Europe in the middle of the 20th century, in preference for Africa.
Today, these African cultivations are threatened because of political instability and/or insufficient productivity. This important market is currently being taken over by Australia which is developing large areas of mechanised cultivation in Tasmania. Europe, for its part, although a high user of these natural insecticides (20 % of the world market), is a the moment lagging far behind since it does not have at its disposal plant varieties adapted to its agro- climatic conditions, nor appropriate and modern cultivation and harvesting methods.
It therefore makes sense, in the economic context of the CAP, to fix as an objective the reintroduction to Europe of the cultivation of Pyrethrum, a crop with a high added value, and which is perfectly suited to fallow land and poor and arid land.
The present project intends to carry out a significant improvement of the plant, both quantitatively, by closely associating agronomists, chemists and biologists in an integrated research action. The following aims will be set :
- to study the action of natural pyrethrins, and especially the comparative
activity of the various active principles identified in the plant as well as the
possibilities of biological synergies;
- to implement a genetic selection process designed to obtain varieties with
maximum active principle content;
- to develop an optimised cultivation technique which is economically
adapted to European farms, notably through mechanisation.
The implementation of this research project would allow within some years the cultivation of 5,000 ha of poor and arid soil in southern Europe.

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Funding Scheme

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Coordinator

SANOFI CHIMIE S.A.
EU contribution
No data
Address
PECQUEUSE - B.P. 6
91470 LIMOURS
France

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Total cost

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Participants (4)

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