to help save crops from disease

CUTTING-EDGE technology and research to help farmers protect their crops against destructive diseases is being developed at a new lab at The Heath.

Micap Plc, which has relocated to Runcorn from Newton-le-Willows, hopes to develop fungicides using dead yeast cells as natural capsules to protect the active ingredients against high temperatures, pressures and sunlight.

Craig Duckam, the technical director heading up the Runcorn operation, said that the company was 'leading the way' in developing fungicides to combat crop mildew and fungal damage ahead of Europe and America.

He added that the business and technical park's facilities were a 'key factor' in Micap's decision to relocate and that expansion plans were 'on the cards' in the next few years.