The European Division of UPL and Biopreparáty, spol. s r. o., a Czech company specializing in biological plant protection products, announced that they entered into a distribution agreement for Polyversum® WP, a biological fungicide manufactured by Biopreparáty, spol. s r. o. Under terms of the agreement, UPL will have the exclusive right to distribute the product in 18 European countries.
"Polyversum WP represents a differentiated, innovative and effective approach towards environmentally friendly disease control in arable and specialty crops," said Paula Pinto, Global Head, Strategic Alliances & B2B of UPL. "This agreement complements UPL's growing portfolio of biocontrol products, giving growers in Europe another sustainable solution to manage their crops. Disease resistance management is a major challenge in Europe and Polyversum will bring a useful alternative mode of action. The agreement is an excellent example of how UPL's OpenAg purpose can benefit European growers and contribute to agricultural sustainability."
"We are pleased to cooperate with UPL to bring this proprietary biocontrol product to the European market," said Martin Suchánek, Biopreparáty's CEO and Managing Director. "As the fifth largest global player in crop protection, UPL is very well-positioned to market Polyversum WP. We at Biopreparáty, are very pleased to have joined forces with the company that shares our enthusiasm and vision for potential and development of this progressive agricultural biosolutions segment. Our common target will be to expand Polyversum WP potential in Europe into new crops and countries and work together with UPL on new Biopreparaty´s technologies."
Polyversum WP is based on the active ingredient Pythium oligandrum M1, which naturally suppresses phytopathogenic fungi while inducing the production of growth-stimulating substances in a plant.
"The key advantages of Polyversum WP are its high effectiveness and safety of use," said Paula. "It's truly an elegant and environmentally friendly solution authorized for both organic as well as conventional farming and targeting key diseases as Botrytis in fruits and vegetables as well as and Fusarium in row crops. We are confident that Europe's agriculture community will welcome the availability of Polyversum WP, as it has UPL's other biosolutions products."
About UPL
UPL is a leader in global food systems and with the acquisition of Arysta LifeScience, is now one of the top five agricultural solutions companies worldwide. With revenue of US$5 billion, new UPL has presence in 130 countries. With market access to 90 percent of world’s food basket and focused on high-growth regions, new UPL represents a compelling value proposition for growers, distributors, suppliers and innovation partners in a consolidating market. New UPL offers an integrated portfolio of both patented and post-patent agricultural solutions for various arable and specialty crops, including biological, crop protection, seed treatment and post-harvest solutions covering the entire crop value chain.
About Biopreparáty
Biopreparáty spol. s r.o. is a Czech privately-held company founded in 1997. It is R&D-based company fully committed to development and introduction of original and innovative biological products in agriculture and amenity markets. Biopreparáty are the first and are still the only company that has successfully commercialized biological fungicides based on the hyperparasitic fungus Pythium oligandrum. Biopreparáty are a reliable producer of high-quality formulations of biological products supported by strong registration packages and patents in the EU, USA, China and other territories.