MBI launches new formulation of REGALIA® biofungicide

Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc.  recently announced the launch and commercial availability of a new formulation of its REGALIA® Biofungicide.

REGALIA is a highly effective biofungicide for conventional and organic production that prevents and fights disease by triggering treated plants to produce disease-fighting biochemicals while enhancing plant health to optimize yield.

“MBI is always listening to the needs of growers and searching for ways to improve the performance and experience of our products to enable environmentally responsible and sustainable agricultural production,” said Pam Marrone, CEO of Marrone Bio Innovations.  “We have created a new and improved formulation of REGALIA that provides handlers with superior mixing and dispersion in the tank, while maintaining or enhancing performance for disease control and plant health.  REGALIA can be used as a stand-alone product, but like all disease control products, are best used  in combination with other fungicides to strengthen integrated programs  and to help manage resistance in a wide range of conventional and organic crops.”

In 2015 field trials conducted with university and 3rd party evaluators in the northeastern U.S., the new formulation of REGALIA also showed improved efficacy against fire blight, providing pome fruit growers with a valuable management tool that can be used to delay the development of resistance to antibiotics while providing enhanced control of shoot blight.  This research also showed very promising spray programs when REGALIA was tank mixed with copper fungicides or prohexadione-calcium, achieving control comparable to antibiotics.

Key attributes of the new REGALIA formulation include:
•    Easier mixing and dispersability in the tank leading to increased time back in the field spraying versus loading
•    No film left in empty containers that ensure all product is used and improved rinse-out recycling
•    A bold green container color with clear fill-line allowing handlers to see how much product has been poured out

As part of an integrated disease management program, REGALIA can be used to control plant pathogens on a wide range of crops including, but not limited to grapes (powdery mildew, Botrytis), almonds (brown rot, shot hole, powdery mildew), strawberries (powdery mildew, Botrytis), tomatoes (powdery mildew, Botrytis/gray mold, bacterial spot and speck, early blight), apples (powdery mildew, fire blight),  and cucurbits such as watermelons, pumpkins, and cucumbers  (powdery mildew, gummy stem blight, downy mildew).

REGALIA is not harmful to workers, food, beneficials and pollinators and can be sprayed right up to harvest to manage residues for export.