Algae to fight mildew and grey rot

The commonly used cure for mildew and botrytis bad rot or grey rot has always been copper based solutions, however several organic and biodynamic producers are worried about the steady build up of copper in the vineyards. It now appears that Atlantic algae may be a solution instead. Engineer and oenologist Laurent de Crasto has been working with Lionel Navarro, a researcher at France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), to test a treatment using powdered Atlantic algae. The results look good for mildew with 100% efficiency, while for botrytis it is 50% efficient.