From Lab to Market

In the early developmental stages of a new compound, there are many opportunities and uncertainties involving numerous aspects, such as toxicology, environment and effectivity. A lot of research needs to be done in the correct sequence to gather essential information and insights for making the right decisions over the course of this R&D process. By testing your compounds in their early developmental stages, we can support you with cost-effective and proved successfully experiments , all so that you can get the answers you need to questions like: What is the efficacy of the product on different targets? How do the product, target and plant interact? What opportunities are there to improve the product? Can it be improved by formulation, application, a combination of these two, or for instance timing? To find the answers to these questions, we have a wide range of tests at hand in our laboratories, glasshouses and/or outdoor fields; with detached leaves, whole plants, micro plots or even field plots.

We can perform early tests during germination, crop growth or post-harvest transport and storage on a wide range of pests and diseases, including common diseases and pests in potato (late and early blight, aphids), cereals (rusts, mildew, leafspot), onions (mildew, leafspot), oil seed rape and cabbage (leafspot, slugs, soil insects, caterpillars) and many more. When the availability of the new compound is limited, pot experiments will be designed to generate maximum results using minimal compound amounts with an experimental spraying cabin in the glasshouse. Our tests provide reliable results to predict the compound’s effectivity under field conditions.

Results from your early testing show the best opportunities for success in practice of a commercial cropping system. What is the best dosage, application method, timing, etc. How does the application interact with the different conditions like cropping system, climate, soil, etc. What are the best way(s) to apply for registration as a crop protection product? We can help you to answer these questions.Depending on your needs and questions, our experts will consult you to create the best experiments. This could be:

• (complex) tests to evaluate your product as a seed coating against soil-borne diseases or pests;
• to test differences in timing and dosages for applications in the planting or crop growth phase or post-harvest;
• evaluate your products whether they are preventive, curative or eradicative, contact or (semi) systemic;
• test the interaction of your product with the crop and how its performance is affected by conditions such as (heavy) rain, temperature and/or solar radiation;
• help you find the best time windows for the application of your products.

We are able to apply a range of pests and diseases to perform these tests, including common diseases and pests in for instance potato (late and early blight, aphids), cereals (rusts, mildew, leafspot), onions (mildew, leafspot), oil seed rape and cabbage (leafspot, slugs, soil insects, caterpillars).Are you looking for an application strategy in a different field? Don’t hesitate to contact us.

Registration is a way to protect your innovations and investments. In Europe, trials must be executed in conformity with Good Experimental Practice (GEP), using the EPPO guidelines. Wageningen University & Research is GEP certified. Additionally, we aim to increase our efficiency by improving within the boundaries of the registration guidelines. Using our knowledge of the biology, we create favourable conditions for a reliable level of diseases and pests in the registration trials. We combine expertise in technology and biology, including the interactions between crops and their pests and diseases. For example, in our field trials, we create a wide range of sprinkler applications to manipulate disease development. We develop special sites with sufficient populations for tests with soil-borne pests (nematodes, insects) and perennial weeds. Our approach of investing in a high trial success rate is cost-effective, supports a short to-market period and offers best ROI.

Once the registration is completed. You want to show your customers the added value of your product. We can provide you with an evaluation within the cropping systems of the end users. We compare your product with competing products and help you discover new elements of added value. With our expert knowledge on crop protection, we can help to design and execute your demonstration trials. For example, your product may have better control of new disease genotypes. We are able to show this in a well-designed trial using these genotypes. Or your product might have an additional side effect on another pest, which may be relevant for its positioning. But also aspects such as safeguarding natural enemies or the possibilities of its combination with biologicals might be surprisingly beneficial for your innovation as well. Wageningen University & Research will always keep its independent position. This means that all trials will be reliable and widely accepted.