Vive Crop Protection and Marrone Bio Innovations join forces to bring next-generation crop protection solutions to growers

Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBII) (MBI), an international leader in sustainable bioprotection and plant health solutions, and Vive Crop Protection, a leader in Precision Chemistry solutions and owner of the patented Allosperse® technology, announced an agreement that will provide a suite of ground-breaking products for U.S. growers that combine a leading biological with proven conventional chemistry utilizing the unique Allosperse Delivery System.

The first product to come from this joint effort will be AZterknot™ FC, a fungicide for broad crop use marketed by Vive Crop Protection. It fuses the plant health benefits of two actives: Reynoutria extract, the active ingredient in biological market-leader Regalia®, and the disease-fighting power of azoxystrobin, the active ingredient in AZteroid® FC 3.3.
 
AZterknot FC will also contain Vive’s Allosperse Delivery System technology, which provides superior handling characteristics including compatibility with in-furrow, pop-up and foliar liquid fertilizers. Pending EPA registration approval, the product will be approved for foliar and in-furrow application on all major crops in the U.S. (excluding California).

Dan Bihlmeyer, vice president of sales and marketing with Vive Crop Protection says, “The collaboration with MBI allows us to bring growers the best of three approaches to crop protection: chemistry, biologicals and nanotechnology. With AZterknot FC, growers will have access to the combined power of a leading biological and of a proven fungicide chemistry. Research has shown that the two actives, in combination with the Allosperse Delivery System, work together to control disease, improve plant health, and increase yield.”

MBI will also market a version of the product to specialty crop growers when regulatory approval is granted. Regalia is one of the most used biologicals in the specialty crop market and the combination with azoxystrobin and the Allosperse technology will provide specialty crop growers with the convenience of a single product that delivers enhanced performance and improved yield in a highly compatible formulation.

“Our partnership with Vive is an example of how MBI has focused on growth by creating innovative and integrated crop management solutions for growers of a wide range of crops,” said Kevin Hammill, chief commercial officer for Marrone Bio Innovations. “These next-generation BioUnite™ products will not only give U.S. growers access to effective crop protection technology, but it will allow them to better manage their crops by harnessing the power of biologicals with the performance of chemistry.”

Regulatory approval for AZterknot FC is expected in mid-2021 and will be available through distributor and retail commercial channels in the U.S.