Lallemand Plant Care wins the 2016 Farmers Awards in France

And the winner is…Lallemand Plant Care for its product PRESTOP 4B, the first biocontrol product distributed by bumblebees.

Each year in France, the Farmers Awards reward innovations that improve farmers’ quality of life and their professional image. This year, Lallemand Plant Care won first prize for it’s Prestop4B product in the Environment category.

Bumblebees are frequently used in greenhouses by strawberry growers. Lallemand Plant Care has developed a Prestop formulation suitable for distribution by bumblebees. As they leave their hive, the pollinators pass in a footbath full of a specific formulation of Prestop that sticks to their legs and hair. During their pollination, the insects will then deposit the product to the flowers to achieve optimal natural protection against grey mold. PRESTOP4B is naturally free of toxicity for bumblebees as well as humans and the environment.

This innovative concept also allows the farmer not to spend extra time or energy in applying the product which is also an valuable benefit.