How BotryStop Works, and Why That Makes It Preventative
The active is a living organism: Ulocladium oudemansii strain U3. It does not kill anything at all. Instead it colonises the dead and senescing tissue that botrytis needs as an entry point, taking both the physical space and the available nutrients first. Botrytis then arrives to find the site already occupied and no room left to establish. That single mechanism explains everything about how the product has to be used in a programme.
Timing a Biological Fungicide Against Botrytis
Preventative means preventative. A biological fungicide that works by occupation has to be established on the tissue before the pathogen arrives. It has no curative action against an infection already underway. Applied on a schedule ahead of pressure, BotryStop works. Applied as a rescue it will not. Targets are Botrytis cinerea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Monilinia species, with trial data across grapes, berries, strawberries, poinsettias and geraniums. Re-entry is 4 hours and the pre-harvest interval is zero days. It is exempt from residue tolerance and OMRI approved, under EPA Reg. No. 075747-2-68539-17. Two practical points. It is non-invasive and does no damage to live tissue, so it can sit in a programme without a phytotoxicity worry. And because the mode of action is competition rather than chemistry, it carries no resistance risk, which makes it useful as a rotation partner. Always follow the label.
Key Features
- Ulocladium oudemansii strain U3: A living organism that occupies tissue rather than a chemistry that kills spores.
- Preventative only: It has to be established before the pathogen arrives. It is not a rescue treatment.
- Botrytis, sclerotinia and monilinia: Trial data covers grapes, berries, strawberries, poinsettias and geraniums.
- 4 hour REI, 0 day PHI: Exempt from residue tolerance, so harvest timing is not constrained.
- OMRI approved: EPA Reg. No. 075747-2-68539-17, cleared for certified organic production.
- No resistance risk: Competition rather than chemistry, which makes it a clean rotation partner.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Product | BioWorks wettable powder biofungicide |
| Active Ingredient | Ulocladium oudemansii strain U3 |
| Formulation | Water-dispersible wettable powder |
| EPA Registration | 075747-2-68539-17 |
| Mode of Action | Competitive exclusion on dead and senescing tissue |
| Action Type | Preventative, not curative |
| Target Diseases | Botrytis cinerea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Monilinia spp. |
| REI | 4 hours |
| PHI | 0 days |
| Residue Tolerance | Exempt |
| Certification | OMRI approved |
| Effect on Live Tissue | Non-invasive, no damage |
| Resistance Management | No resistance risk, suits rotation |
| Pack Size | 12 lbs |
| Other Sizes | 30 lbs |