BIOCONTROL, 100% NATURAL SOLUTIONS

Questions asked to Emilie Lascaux, solutions project manager at Cérience. 

For a few years, new solutions have been appearing for the plant health, solutions without classification, from natural origin and environmentally friendly. Messager is one of these solutions, isn’t it?  

“Indeed, Messager perfectly fits this description. It’s a biocontrol product approved for grapevines and market gardening. More specifically, it’s a stimulator of natural defences allowing the crops to fight against mildew and powdery mildew. This solution replaces or goes along the conventional treatments such as copper or active material from chemical origin.” 

Does this product have the UAB label (Usable in Organic Agriculture)?

Yes, Messager is a plant protection product without classification, which active agents are only from natural origin. Its marketing authorisation is accompanied by the UAB label, usable in organic agriculture. Today, Messager is used on more than 50.000 hectares of grapevines! For information, the list of UOA products is available on website of ITAB ; and on the website of E-Phy

What is the active agent of Messager?

The active agent of Messager is the COS-OGA. It’s a mix of 2 oligosaccharides of natural origin. For the record, its ingredients come from the exoskeleton of shellfish and the skin of citrus fruits and apples. This innovation has been developed in partnership with Fytofend, a company from Namur University in Belgium.

What are the advantages of this product for grapevines or vegetable growing in greenhouses?

First, it’s a 100% natural solution that can be used for both organic and conventional farming. It’s a stimulator of the natural defences, fighting against two diseases, the mildew and the powdery mildew. Therefore, this solution allows to reduce the use of plant protection products by 20 to 50%! Also, its efficiency has been proven when use on its own, or with some conventional, sulphur or copper fungicides. Finally, the biocontrol products such as Messager contributed to the transformation of agriculture and of its image. The biocontrol gives a very positive image to the general population about end products from viticulture and market gardening!

To know more about biocontrol click here!