Secret new format irons out glitches in Botry-Zen spray

By Deborah Hill Cone

Friday 17th May 2002

JOHN SCANDRETT: 'Now we potentially have a totally new export market'

New Botry-Zen chief executive John Scandrett says the company has successfully developed a "new format" of its grape-rot product, in response to a teething problem revealed in trials.

The trials exposed some problems with the liquid suspension formulation of Botry-Zen because of the tight time-frame in which it must be transported to vineyards. It has a short shelf life and does not travel well, Mr Scandrett says.

But this has been overcome by developing a different product "format" from the liquid suspension formulation.

The product will still be applied by spraying on to the vines.

"As with any new product there have been some hiccups but we were still able to get the product on to the vines and demonstrate it worked and worked well."

Mr Scandrett says he cannot reveal details of the new format as it may represent new intellectual property (IP) and is going through the patent process. The opportunity to get a patent can be lost if details of the IP are released into the public domain.

But Mr Scandrett says the company is very pleased with the results of the trials, in which 60 winegrowers took part.

"We have a high level of faith in the product."

Bunch rot caused by botrytis cinerea has been estimated to cost the local wine and grape-growing industry $30 million in lost sales and the cost of control measures.

Botry-Zen is a non-pathogenic fungus, which acts as a biological control agent by competing for the same niche as botrytis cinerea.

Mr Scandrett says the tests show when Botry-Zen is "applied correctly and in a timely fashion" it is on a comparative basis with traditional chemical fungicides.

Botry-Zen has invested $600,000 in setting up production facilities in Dunedin. It is now looking at manufacturing the product there to be distributed worldwide, rather than selling the licence for others to manufacture it in overseas markets.

The company has been talking to prospective manufacturers in France and South Africa.

"But now we potentially have a totally new export market," Mr Scandrett says.

There are 12,200ha of grapes planted in New Zealand and this coming season Botry-Zen hopes 3000-4000ha will use its biological control agent product to deal with botrytis.

Different areas are affected by botrytis to different degrees - high-pressure or low-pressure botrytis - depending on the weather conditions, with varying amounts of spraying needed to keep it under control.

Mr Scandrett joined Botry-Zen over a month ago after a 12-year career with the University of Otago where he was involved in negotiating deals to commercialise IP created through university research.

Botry-Zen is pushing ahead with plans to list the company next month.
After having a provisional licence to carry out trials, it is waiting on registration of product under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act.

NEXT WEEK: Pharma Zen pushes ahead and what's cooking at the University of Otago

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