Terraseed win R&D funding from the Technology Strategy Board's New Approaches to Crop Protection competition for 4 year project focusing on pest and disease control in horticultural crops in collaboration with Stockbridge Technology Centre.

Terraseed is a novel, innovative patented seed-mat technology that has been developed by Terraseed Ltd primarily as a non-chemical approach to weed control in salad and vegetable production.  It has taken several years and significant investment to develop the system and the product is now being licensed to commercial growers in the UK and overseas as an alternative for effective weed control in situations where key herbicides have been withdrawn or are due to be revoked in the near future.

We seek to further develop and extend the technology for the control of important pests and pathogens in horticultural crops and hence further reduce, and potentially eliminate, insecticide and fungicide inputs.  The technology provides the opportunity to improve yield and quality and also reduce fertiliser, water and labour inputs through improved mechanisation.  The focus will be on the control of of economically important pathogens and pests e.g. bremia, sclerotinia, rhizoctonia, pythium, carrot fly and aphids.

Studies will be primarily on lettuce and carrot crops as these are considered to have the greatest and most immediate commercial potential.
Terraseed Ltd, the lead applicant, will provide the materials and knowhow and will collaborate with one of the UK’s leading applied horticultural R&D centres, Stockbridge Technology Centre, who will provide applied science and agronomy expertise together with trials/demonstration and conference facilities.  Third party contractors will undertake detailed carbon footprint analysis.  The emerging technology will be licensed using the existing Terraseed framework.