Marrone Bio announces introduction of New Synergistic plant health product available to corn, soybean and wheat growers

Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. (NASDAQ: MBII), an international leader in sustainable bioprotection and plant health solutions, announced on Tuesday that Pacesetter™, a recently approved bio-based plant health product, is now available to corn, soybean and wheat growers in the United States.

Pacesetter acts synergistically with conventional fungicides to improve plant health and vigor, increasing yield by up to seven bushels per acre in soybeans and 13 bushels per acre in corn. The active ingredient in Pacesetter is a plant extract from Reynoutria sachalinensis, a compound that delivers multiple modes of action. When used with conventional fungicides, Pacesetter promotes root growth, and increases chlorophyll production in the crop, resulting in yield increases beyond that of a grower’s standard fungicide program.

This foliar plant health product is the newest addition to MBI’s BioUnite™ portfolio, a science-based integrated pest management program that harnesses the power of biology with the performance of chemistry.

Pacesetter Field Trials

Twenty-four corn and soybean field trials were conducted in the Midwest during the 2019 crop year to assess the performance of Pacesetter when added to a grower’s standard fungicide program. The results have been positive; notably in soybeans where 82% of the time, when combined with a conventional fungicide, Pacesetter achieved higher yields than the grower’s standard fungicide program alone.

When Pacesetter’s 2019 soybean yield was combined with testing data from prior years, the yield was improved by an average of nearly four percent compared to the grower’s standard fungicide program without the use of Pacesetter. These results represent a 71% win rate and a four to one return on investment.

In corn, when the 2019 yield of Pacesetter was combined with testing data from prior years, the average yield increase was four bushels per acre versus the grower’s standard fungicide program without the use of Pacesetter. The return on investment was particularly significant for corn in yield-challenging environments where results showed a 6.25 bushels per acre increase.

“BioUnite™ increases value to growers by offering an integrated crop management program that increases yield and return on investment,” said Kevin Hammill, Chief Commercial Officer of Marrone Bio Innovations. “Pacesetter is the latest example of MBI providing incremental value to its customers through a strong portfolio of plant health products.”

Pacesetter, the newest addition to MBI’s biological product portfolio, received EPA approval in February 2020 and will be commercially available for the 2020 growing season, pending state approvals.