DCM PEA-02®, for which a European registration dossier has been submitted to the European Commission, will be the first bacteriophage-based biocontrol or plant protection product for use in horticulture in the European Union after a positive evaluation. It is an innovative and curative solution against 'fire blight', the bacterial plant disease caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora in apple and pear trees.
Bacteriophages, or phages for short, are viruses that infect bacteria, in other words, they are natural enemies of bacteria. The mechanism of action of bacteriophages is curative, while most other plant protection products against fire blight have a preventive effect.