Eden Research and Corteva Agriscience have announced that their product, Ecovelex™ 2023, has received temporary approval in Italy for use as a bird repellent seed treatment in corn for the 2024 growing season. Ecovelex is an alternative to conventional chemicals that are not approved in the EU and UK and is designed to tackle crop destruction caused by birds. The product works by creating an unpleasant taste or odor that repels birds, leaving the seeds intact and the birds unaffected. Ecovelex is based on Eden's plant-derived chemistry and formulated using Eden's Sustaine® microencapsulation system. The product aims to support farmers in meeting consumer and regulatory demands for more sustainable agriculture.

Leonardo Costa, EMEA Seed Applied Technologies Leader at Corteva Agriscience, stated, "Ecovelex is a safe, effective and sustainable alternative to conventional crop protection products. Every year, farmers face heavy losses caused by birds, and recent regulatory changes have meant that the conventional approaches to combating crop damage are no longer available."

Eden CEO Sean Smith expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration between Eden and Corteva Agriscience, stating, "Together, we are bringing another safe and effective product to market in near record time through efficient, open collaboration. This is ultimately a win for farmers who will have a new, effective tool for improving crop yields, safely and sustainably."

Eden has submitted the regulatory dossier and application for Ecovelex to Austria, which will act as the interzonal rapporteur member state on behalf of the EU. The review and authorization process can take between 18 and 24 months, with each EU member state then able to ratify the authorization or request additional information before granting local authorizations.

Eden Research is a UK-listed company focused on biopesticides for sustainable agriculture. It develops and supplies biopesticide products and natural microencapsulation technologies to the global crop protection, animal health, and consumer products industries. Eden's products are formulated with terpene active ingredients based on natural plant defense metabolites. The company derives 100% of its total annual revenues from sustainable products and services. Corteva Agriscience is a global pure-play agriculture company that combines innovation, customer engagement, and operational execution to deliver solutions for agriculture challenges.