Bionema Group has developed a patent-pending fungal bioherbicide that could provide growers with a new option for controlling broadleaf and grass weeds in cereals, oilseed rape, vegetables and other high-value crops.

The company said greenhouse trials in the United Kingdom showed up to 85 percent mortality of susceptible broadleaf and grass weeds, along with up to an 80 percent reduction in weed emergence following pre-emergence applications. Early field evaluations are now underway.

The candidate product is being developed for both pre-emergence and early post-emergence weed control.

Bionema said its encapsulated formulation maintained 92 percent viability after 12 months of ambient storage, addressing one of the longstanding challenges in developing fungal bioherbicides. Greenhouse evaluations also found no visible crop injury in cereals or oilseed rape.

The company said the product combines a selected fungal active ingredient with a proprietary formulation and delivery system designed to protect the organism during manufacturing, storage, application and field use.

“The commercial challenge is not simply to identify a fungus that can damage weeds under controlled conditions. The challenge is to convert that biological activity into a stable, scalable and reliable product that growers can use in the field,” said Dr. Minshad Ansari, founder and CEO of Bionema Group.

“These results demonstrate strong activity against important broadleaf and grass weeds, while our formulation technology addresses the stability and delivery limitations that have prevented many bioherbicides from progressing beyond early research. The combination of efficacy, formulation stability and a differentiated biological mode of action gives this programme significant commercial potential,” added Ansari.

The company said the fungal bioherbicide works through a biological mode of action that differs from conventional chemical herbicides, giving it potential as a tool for integrated weed management and herbicide resistance management.

Development studies showed activity in both pre-emergence and post-emergence applications, with visible infection appearing within days and significant weed control occurring within about two weeks under favourable conditions.

Bionema has filed patent applications covering both the fungal bioherbicide and its formulation technology. The next phase of development will include multi-location field trials in the United Kingdom and Europe, application rate and timing studies, crop safety evaluations, manufacturing scale-up, shelf-life validation and regulatory studies.

The company is also seeking partners to support field development, product registration, manufacturing and commercialization. Potential partnerships include co-development, licensing agreements and territory-specific marketing rights.