Plant protection against downy mildew in organic
viticulture is strongly dependant on the use of copper.
Due to the forseeable ban of copper in plant
protection in the EU, alternative solutions are urgently
needed.
The development of new plant protection products is
a long and costly process. When a potential substance,
plant extract or biocontrol agent is available
in standardised quality, efficacy testing against various
pathogens on important agricultural crops is a
next step.
To increase the number of products that can be
tested and to optimise the often limited amount of
field work, a system of screening on seedlings and
under natural conditions was established.