Biotalys has secured regulatory approval in the Netherlands to conduct large-scale demonstration trials of EVOCA NG, its next-generation protein-based biofungicide, taking the product a step closer to commercialisation. The approval, granted by the Dutch Board for the Authorization of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (Ctgb), permits growers to test the product under commercial production conditions, with harvested produce allowed to enter the food chain.
The trials will cover up to 350 hectares, comprising 150 hectares each of tomatoes and cucumbers and 50 hectares of strawberries. This represents a significant expansion of the company's earlier demonstration programme involving EVOCA, its first-generation biological crop protection product. The newly approved trials mark the first commercial-scale application of EVOCA NG under real growing conditions.
For Biotalys, the expanded programme is intended to generate practical evidence of product performance while advancing development and production optimisation. Chief Executive Officer Carlo Boutton said the approval would allow growers to assess EVOCA NG across larger commercial acreages, with the additional assurance that harvested produce could enter the food chain.
He added that the decision reflected regulatory confidence in the safety and potential of the company's protein-based biofungicide technology, which is built around its AGROBODY platform.
The demonstration trials will assess EVOCA NG against two commercially significant fungal diseases: Botrytis and powdery mildew. Both pathogens pose persistent challenges for fruit and vegetable growers, affecting crop productivity, quality and marketability.
Botrytis causes tissue decay and grey mould by infecting flowers, fruits, leaves and stems, potentially resulting in substantial yield and post-harvest losses. Powdery mildew, meanwhile, develops on the surface of leaves and other green plant tissues, weakening plant growth and affecting fruit quality and productivity.
The development comes as growers face an increasingly constrained crop protection market, with conventional fungicides encountering resistance challenges, regulatory restrictions and the withdrawal of certain active ingredients. Biological alternatives that can be integrated into existing crop protection programmes are therefore gaining commercial relevance.
Grower experience strengthens commercial case
Earlier demonstration trials in the Netherlands have provided Biotalys with initial feedback from commercial growers using EVOCA. At Brookberries, grower Noud Dings reported applying the product across 3.7 hectares of strawberries, replacing a synthetic fungicide within a rotation programme.
Rob van Enckevort of De Peelkroon also reported successful use of EVOCA against powdery mildew in strawberries for two consecutive years. The experience of these growers provides an early indication of the potential role of biological fungicides in commercial crop protection programmes. Both have expressed interest in participating in the expanded EVOCA NG demonstration programme.
For Biotalys, the next phase will be critical in establishing the product's performance at a larger scale and building grower familiarity ahead of its anticipated European registration and commercial launch in 2029. The trials will also help the company refine its development and production processes as it prepares to move from demonstration to market introduction.
