PHC.L Regulatory News (PHC)

3 Jun 2008 07:30



3 June 2008

For immediate release

Plant Health Care plc

("Plant Health Care" or "the Company")

FIELD TRIALS

Pre-Tect delivers strong results in UK fruit trials

Plant Health Care plc (AIM: PHC.L), a leading provider of natural products for plants and soil, is pleased to report the success of independent UK trials of its Harpin based PreTect product on cherries, published in Horticulture Week, and on other soft fruit including strawberries and raspberries.

The trials undertaken by Farm Advisory Services Team ("FAST") have shown that protein-based Pre-Tect can help cherries from cracking during wet harvests and help to increase the shelf-life of soft fruits.

The results of the trials demonstrated that cherries from an orchard where an alternative material was applied with calcium and which experienced 110mm of rainfall exhibited 55 per cent cracking on the day sampled. Following more rainfall, the orchard was written off. In contrast, cherries from an orchard treated with PreTect and calcium, which were exposed to the same amount of rain, exhibited only 2.5 per cent cracking when sampled at the same time.

 "Where no anti-crack treatment measures were taken the crop was a total write-off. Where alternative materials were used, some reduction in cracking was initially seen, but with continuing wet weather most fruits succumbed and growers walked away from the crop. However, where a full programme of PreTect was used, virtually no cracking was seen - even with over 120mm of rain falling during the main picking period" - said Don Vaughan, FAST's cherry agronomist. The trials were undertaken last summer when more than 200mm of rain fell during the cherry harvesting period".

One of the growers participating in the trial, Henry Bryant of Faversham based Bryant & Partners, used Pre-Tect on his cherries in 2007 and also experienced good results. He said "Without Pre-Tect I doubt we would have picked even 10 per cent of our cherries last year. As it was, we picked at least 80 per cent of the crop. An added bonus was the extended shelf life Pre-Tect appeared to give the fruit. This was remarked on by several customers when they compared our fruit to others".

Other trials on strawberry 'Elsanta', 'Everest' and 'Symphony' varieties involved an application of PreTect two weeks before harvest. Results showed that the control fruit exhibited 20% rot whilst test fruit showed only 8% rots. Both were stored at 20oc for 14 days.

The 'Octavia' variety was used for raspberry trials again treated two weeks before harvest. Control fruit showed 40% rots whilst fruit treated with PreTect showed 10% rots following storage at 10oc for 14 days.

An excessively wet picking season in 2007 resulted in traditional botrytis treatments being 'maxed out' early in the season. With the added benefit of no harvest interval, however, Pre-Tect could be used to the day of harvest, extending the fruit's storage capability by 20%. "When aimed at extending the shelf life of soft fruit, PreTect has proved excitingly effective," said Rob Cook, soft fruit agronomist with FAST.

Charles Atkins of C.E. Murch at Blean, Canterbury used PreTect on his raspberry crop for the first time in 2007. "There was a definite increase in fruit firmness at harvest time and I believe this is having a positive effect on the shelf life of my crop. This has been remarked upon by my customers".

-Ends-

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