Italy’s Ministry of Health granted an Article 53 Emergency Authorisation in Italy for SPEAR® LEP, a peptide-based insecticide that targets lepidopteran insects such as tomato leafminer while presenting minimal risk to people, pollinators and beneficials and will be available for growers in Italy to use on tomato plants from March 28 to July 25, 2024.
Italian grower group Società Cooperativa Agricola Aurora, which petitioned the Ministry of Health for the emergency authorisation, said it was delighted that it had been granted, giving its members the chance to effectively and sustainably control costly tomato leafminer infestations.
“Having access to effective biocontrols like SPEAR LEP is vital to helping producers reduce pesticide use — supporting profitable production while lowering farming’s impact on the environment,” said Giuseppe Buggea, Aurora’s president.
