A Victorian business is confident its new broad spectrum bioherbicide will lower reliance on conventional herbicide products.
Bioherbicides are based on a living organism, such as bacteria or fungi, and proponents say they offer a less toxic means of weed control.
Contact Organics is launching its new product FireHawk, in response to demand for non-toxic and effective herbicide products.
Chief executive at Contact Organics Frank Glatz said the product acted as a desiccant.
"FireHawk works by stripping away the waxy outer layer of the weed sprayed and breaking its cell walls to desiccate and kill the plant," Dr Glatz said."In addition to being an effective broad spectrum contact herbicide, it is fully biodegradable, beneficial to soil microbiology and fertility, and does not allow weeds to develop resistance," he said.
Dr Glatz said he hoped to lower Australian agriculture's reliance on synthetic pesticides.
"Using these products allows us to grow enough crops to not only feed the nation but export goods which are an estimated $31.6 billion of Australia's agricultural output annually, he said.
However, he said there were alternatives coming through that were far more environmentally friendly.
"At Contact Organics, we are re-thinkingd crop management and finding solutions to areas the industry is struggling with like cost structures for non- toxic weed crop management tools."
At this stage smaller scale agricultural sectors, such as viticulture where it can be applied at a cost of around $100 a hectare.
There will also be home and garden applications will be the focus, but Dr Glatz said there also could be uses in the regenerative agriculture space and as an alternative in areas where there were weeds resistant to common conventional broad spectrum herbicides such as glyphosate.
There are lofty plans to take the product beyond Australian shores.
As part of the development process Contact Organics has applied for and received just received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their bioherbicide, the first Australian company to do so.
Dr Glatz said the company was now searching for $10 million in investment to launch the product in an effective manner globally.