AgroPages-Bionema appoint Rigby Taylor as Distributor for their Nematrident® range for the turf and amenity sector-Agricultural news

Bionema Ltd announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with Rigby Taylor for its NemaTrident® range. The agreement permits Rigby Taylor to sell Bionema’s NemaTrident® range of products on an exclusive basis in the turf and amenity sector in the United Kingdom.

NemaTrident® is a Tri-Component solution, primarily for the control of Chafer grubs and Leatherjackets larvae in golf courses, race courses and lawns. Chafer grubs and Leatherjackets larvae eat the roots of grasses causing damage to lawns and turf, leaving visible signs of yellowish patches. ADAS has calculated the economic cost of chafer grubs alone at up to £85 million a year for golf courses in the UK, from lost income and damage repair. The report also highlighted that, on the 40% of racecourses affected by the pest’s damage, lost income could amount to up to £605,000 per course.

Bionema’s NemaTrident® Tri-Component solution incorporates a range of highly virulent insect-parasitic nematodes within the Heterorhabditis and Steinernema genera. These nematodes attack and destroy the larvae of the insect pests thus preventing future pests from developing. They are safe, non-toxic to users and consumers, decompose rapidly, and can be targeted at specific pests to avoid harming beneficial insects. These safe and sustainable products provide 70-100% success rates in combating pests.

Rigby Taylor is the leading distributor of fertilizers, seed, irrigation and specialities to the amenity sector. The company is always looking for innovations for the improvement, maintenance and construction of sports, amenity and turf sectors. Bionema Ltd feels that Rigby Taylor has the best product knowledge and insight into the turf and amenity market, making it well-positioned to include this new range of biological products.

Dr Minshad Ansari, CEO of Bionema, said: "In a market with significant potential, there is a clear opportunity for Rigby Taylor to continue helping greenkeepers, sportsmen, racecourse managers and landscapers in the control of Chafer grubs and Leatherjackets larvae, when chemicals such as Chlorpyrifos (also known by the trademark Dursban, Equity) and Imidacloprid (Merit Turf) are banned across Europe”.

Peter Corbett of Rigby Taylor said “our role is to combine all the potential solutions for our customers throughout the UK. Our staff have all been briefed on the most effective way to use the Nematrident® range of nematodes to help control Chafer and Leatherjacket as part of an Integrated Pest Management programme (IPM)”.