Vive building deep pipeline of products to expand crop protection possibilities

It has been a good year for Vive Crop Protection. The 2016 field results are very positive, there is a new facility in the works and the EPA has approved registration for a new product for turf, as well as other possible applications.

New Products
The new abamectin-based nematicide product, code-named “VCP-11” is approved for use on turfgrass including greens, tees and fairways. VCP-11 controls nematodes that live in the soil where they feed on turfgrass roots. While abamectin is an excellent nematicide, it can get tied up in the thatch layer between the turf and the soil, which can decrease control and turf quality.

VCP-11 uses Vive’s proprietary delivery system (Allosperse™) to help the nematicide penetrate the thatch and control parasitic nematodes below the soil surface. In field trials conducted in Florida, Louisiana, and Australia, VCP-11 increased turf quality over leading competitors.

“We are excited about our deep pipeline of new, differentiated products. We really believe in creating new possibilities for both agricultural growers and golf course superintendents to use trusted products in new ways. VCP-11 is our first turf product, but we have three others we also plan to launch in 2017.” says Keith Thomas, Vive Crop Protection CEO. VCP-11 will be available for turf application this year, and is being tested in crops that are also susceptible to nematodes such as soybeans and potatoes in 2017.

Field Results
The field results from 2016 are showing that Vive’s products are delivering on their promises. “Corn yields in 2015 and 2016 saw an average increase of over six bushels per acre. About 80 percent of the 24 fields in the program had a yield bump with in-furrow AZteroid™ FC application,” says Dr. Darren Anderson, co-founder, Vive Crop Protection. Several growers were also able to skip expensive, applications at tassel due to reduced disease pressure and increased plant health.

Why the improvement? Anderson explains. “The Allosperse delivery system in AZteroid FC is the key; it allows the fungicide to be compatible with salty liquid fertilizers. Most in-furrow pesticides are not compatible with starter fertilizers and can separate in the tank or plug the application equipment. Allosperse has solved this problem,” says Anderson. The worry-free tank mix also means one-pass application; it survives delays due to weather, doesn’t require special equipment and insures seeds against disease.

Growers agree. “We found it very easy to use. There weren’t any clogging or residue issues in our nozzles and it’s easy to use in the tanks. It has been a positive experience,” says Ken Koehler, an Iowa corn grower.

The first two products developed by Vive using the Allosperse technology are the fungicide AZteroid FC and the insecticide Bifender™ FC. Both mix uniformly with liquid fertilizers to be applied at planting, helping to get seedlings off to a healthy start. Both are approved for key crops in the U.S. Midwest including corn, soybeans and potatoes. AZteroid FC is also approved for use on sugar beet, cotton and peanut crops.

The field results have been positive in other crops using AZteroid FC to start their season. “For sugar beets, control of rhizoctonia is a key issue. The best solution is azoxystrobin in-furrow with a starter fertilizer – which is what we offer with AZteroid FC. In a sugar beet trial conducted at North Dakota State University, when AZteroid FC was applied with starter fertilizer, crops out yielded fungicide seed treatment by 1.5 tons per acre. AZteroid FC in-furrow, on top of seed treatment with an early-season banded application, out-yielded seed treatment alone by 4.5 tons per acre,” says Anderson. AZteroid FC in seven potato trials saw increases of 24 cwt/acre on average.

Continued growth
Vive Crop Protection is developing a number of other products to enable new uses of trusted crop protection tools.  “The industry needs to find new ways to improve the use of existing crop protection technology. We see Allosperse as a key component to innovation in agriculture,” says Anderson, who notes research dollars are primarily being spent on seed and not new crop protection products or modes of action.

The company is optimistic about the future and 2017 is already getting off to a great start. Vive plans to move into a new 10,000 sq. ft. research and development facility in 2017, with state-of-the-art equipment for pilot scale-up, formulation development and biological screening.

While Vive Crop Protection is a relatively new company, the team members behind the innovations have decades of experience in the agriculture sector. As well, the board of directors includes executives from major crop protection companies. They all recognize the critical role an innovative company like Vive, and new delivery systems such as Allosperse, can play in the future of agriculture.