MBI launches Majestene bionematicide in US

Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. recently announced its first sales of its latest product, Majestene, a bionematicide for controlling nematodes.

The company also reports that Majestene has been listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and may now be used in certified organic food production according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program Rule.

Majestene received U.S. EPA approval in late 2015 and is currently state-registered in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, with applications pending in Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New York, South Dakota and Puerto Rico. The company will continue to add additional state registrations across the U.S.

Majestene is a broad spectrum, high performance natural bionematicide for controlling multiple nematodes (roundworms) such as root knot, cyst, sting and lance on a wide range of agricultural crops. The product was developed from MBI’s in-house discovery screening process and provides growers with a new mode of action for safely controlling nematodes by reducing or stopping eggs from hatching, preventing root galling and reducing nematode population density. Majestene has a novel bacteria-based (non-living) active ingredient that possesses true nematicidal activity against eggs, juveniles and adult nematodes. It can be used as a stand-alone product or with conventional products, in rotation or in a tank mix, to strengthen integrated programs.
“We are pleased to have our first commercial sale of MAJESTENE to the potato market in the Pacific Northwest where growers are increasingly looking for sustainable options for controlling a broad range of nematodes and mitigating costly damage to potato crops,” said Brian Ahrens, VP of Sales for Marrone Bio Innovations.  “We are continuing to introduce MAJESTENE to fruit and vegetable growers across the U.S. to meet our customers’ needs.”

“With nematodes causing approximately $80 billion annually in global crop damage, and ever-increasing regulatory restrictions on existing conventional products, the need for effective, easier-to-use and environmentally sustainable biological solutions that reduce multiple species of nematode populations has never been greater,” said Pam Marrone, CEO of Marrone Bio Innovations. “MBI’s R&D and product commercialization efforts are focused on meeting unmet market needs by providing growers with expanded options for sustainable and highly effective solutions for managing pests in conventional and organic crops. Majestene is a prime example of our company executing on our product development strategy and delivering new solutions to growers.”
Majestene is labeled for a wide array of crops including potatoes, corn, cotton, cucurbit vegetables, fruiting vegetables, soybeans, strawberries and bananas. It is available in a liquid formulation and can be applied by ground, with no limit on the number of applications allowed per season. MAJESTENE has the minimum four-hour re-entry interval for farmworkers. The product is non-toxic to fish, birds and most beneficial insects, and also has the advantages of a zero-day pre-harvest interval (PHI) and an exemption from MRL (maximum residue level) tolerances — a measure of pesticide residue limits that must be met for most food crop exports.