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Ten organic wineries in Bordelais and Cognac are currently testing the effectiveness of an algae preparation against botrytis and mildew with great success. About three years ago, the French engineer and winemaker Laurent de Crasto, together with the scientist Lionel Navarro from the French National Centre for Basic Research (CNRS), began research into an alternative to the controversial copper solution ("Bordelais broth"). It is currently the only effective remedy for organic farms that is approved for the dreaded diseases. The two researchers have now published the first results of a field trial involving ten farms. According to these results, the powder made from Atlantic algae is 100 percent effective against mildew and 50 percent effective against botrytis.
In the next step, de Crasto and Navarro plan to increase the production quantity of the algae powder, optimise the application and apply for organic approval. They plan to be able to sell the preparation to wineries from 2022 onwards.
(uka / Photo: Tom Maack - Wikipedia)