Lavie Bio advances biofungicide LAV321 to pre-commercial stage

Agro-biological company Lavie Bio has reported substantial progress in the development of its biofungicide, LAV321, which combats downy mildew. Over three years of field trials across Europe, LAV321 has shown an impressive average efficacy rate of 70% in protecting agricultural crops from fungal diseases, particularly downy mildew in grapes.

Downy mildew is a harmful leaf disease of grapevines that can lead to crop losses of up to 75% in major growing regions. The global fungicide market, valued at over $24.5 billion in 2024, is projected to grow to $33.27 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9%.

In addition to the field trials targeting downy mildew, Lavie Bio has also conducted tests throughout 2024 to assess LAV321’s effectiveness against late blight in tomatoes. These tests demonstrated an average efficacy exceeding 60%, which is comparable to commonly used copper products that LAV321 is intended to replace. Late blight is a critical disease affecting the management of tomato and potato crops, causing annual global damages estimated at $6.7 billion.