About Plant Health Products

Plant Health Products (P H P) develops effective biological control products for crop protection and crop growth enhancement.

Our products contain the naturally-occurring enemies of crop diseases and pests, as well as those organisms that enable improved root growth and uptake of nutrients. These living organisms may be fungi, bacteria or viruses, in environmentally-friendly and easy-to-use formulations. The biopesticide products are often a viable, sustainable alternative to the use of chemical pesticides.

Our products are the result of extensive, in-depth research and are suitable for both conventional and organic farming. They are used in small-scale agriculture, tunnels, orchards, pastures, field crops, vegetables, vineyards and timber plantations

The P H P production facility is based near Nottingham Road in the scenic Midlands region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Swiss company Andermatt Biocontrol controls a 20% share in P H P, researching and selling our products to burgeoning markets in Africa north of the Sahara, South America, Europe and the rest of the world.

The marketing and distribution of PHP products in South Africa, and in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, is in the capable hands of Madumbi Sustainable Agriculture. Our innovative distribution agent in selected West African countries is Bioteq-Ouest.

P H P is a founding member of the South African Bioproducts Organisation (SABO). This organisation was established in mid-2014 to provide a platform for bio-product companies to interact with each other and with government, in the interests of developing and regulating the bio-control industry in South Africa.

Our unique production, formulation methods and rigorous quality control, ensure that our products efficacious.

All Plant Health bio-control and biological pest control products are registered for use in the countries in which they are sold. You can read more about bio-pesticide registration on the DAFF Pesticides Registrar website.

The P H P vision: To create, produce and market, both locally and globally, effective, safe, easy-to-use biological control agents and probiotics.

The P H P mission: To provide clients with well researched and developed biological solutions for agricultural challenges, based on sound science, comprehensive testing and meticulous quality control. The products have a global market, with a primary base in South Africa.

P H P values: We are committed to ethical, quality-controlled production and marketing of our products, abiding by the registration requirements of the particular country in which the products are sold.

History

The concept of Plant Health Products was initiated in 1998 by Professor Mark Laing and Dr Mike Morris. It was a union of the knowledge and expertise of these two experienced scientists that led to the formation of the company.

Mark Laing, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, had conducted 10 years of research on biological control of crop diseases using the fungus Trichoderma harzianum and had reached a stage where a product was ready to be commercialized.

Mike Morris had worked for 25 years leading the government research programme on biological control of invasive plants using fungal agents. He already had experience in producing and registering two fungal-based products and became the Managing Director of P H P.

A production plant was built at Nottingham Road and was gradually expanded to its current form. This plant is well-equipped, and production techniques are designed to follow the particular organism’s natural growing conditions as closely as possible. In this way, optimal vigour and shelf life of the organisms are attained.

Currently P H P employs its own team of research scientists, in addition to contributing to the funding of selected research at other institutions.