DCM PCM-03 nominated for Bernard Blum Award 2025

DCM's biovontrol product PCM-03 has been nominated for the Bernard Blum Award 2025, an international recognition for the most innovative biocontrol products. This award is presented annually at the Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) in Basel, Switzerland, one of the leading events in the biocontrol sector.

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A European first
PCM-03 is the first biocontrol product against Clavibacter michiganensis for which a European registration application has been submitted. Once approved, it will be available for use in greenhouse horticulture across the European Union, marking a significant step in the fight against bacterial wilt disease in tomatoes.

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Curative effect through Bacteriophages
This product contains a mix of bacteriophages that specifically target the European population of Clavibacter michiganensis, the bacterium responsible for bacterial wilt disease in tomatoes. The active ingredients are bacteriophages, viruses that exclusively attack and destroy this specific bacterium. Thanks to this highly targeted mode of action, PCM-03 poses no risk to humans, animals or the environment.

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Sustainable solution for a devastating disease
Tomatoes are the most important vegetable crop worldwide, with an annual production exceeding 180 million tonnes. Clavibacter michiganensis causes significant losses by clogging the xylem, disrupting water transport, and leading to plant wilting. Young plants are particularly susceptible and, due to the long incubation period (up to 3 months), this mechanically transmissible disease can spread easily. It can result in complete plant die-off, and because the bacterium survives in plant residues and soil, it poses a threat to future crops as well. The urgency of the situation calls for a reliable and sustainable approach. The development of PCM-03 aligns with DCM's vision to protect plants from disease in a natural and efficient way, with the utmost respect for the ecosystem.

International cooperation in innovation
PCM-03 was developed in collaboration with the research institute Scientia Terrae and the American biotech company OmniLytics, a pioneer in bacteriophage technology. Based on an extensive EU collection of bacterial isolates, genetically characterised using innovative molecular techniques, a product was developed specifically tailored to the European bacterial population.