James Petta named North America head of UPL Natural Plant Protection

UPL has named James “Jim” Petta as North America head of Natural Plant Protection (NPP), a global business unit featuring UPL’s comprehensive portfolio of natural and biologically derived agricultural inputs and technologies.

Petta will be responsible for building and driving the North American Biosolutions strategy and portfolio development as well as leading the multi-functional Biosolutions team to drive significant growth for the North American market. Petta comes to UPL with 36 years of experience in the agricultural industry, most recently at Valent USA and EcoFlora.

“As Jim builds the NPP team and portfolio, UPL is focused on creating sustainable and differentiated solutions for the agricultural, turf, ornamental aquatics and seed segments,” says Craig Brekkas, UPL Head of North America. “Natural Plant Protection is a new way of thinking and working in agriculture. It's about micro intervention and macro impact, retaking the world balance between people, food production and the environment. Jim is an excellent choice to lead UPL to success in this market.”

UPL’s Biosolutions technologies originate from natural sources such as plant extracts, microorganisms and other organic matter, and include biocontrol products, biostimulants and innovative nutrition.

“These technologies are becoming an important part of the crop management toolbox to help farmers reach new levels of sustainable productivity. UPL has introduced several innovative Biosolutions technologies, with more coming through the pipeline to be commercially introduced in the coming years. Some of the current products include KASUMIN Bactericide, OHM Biostimulant and PH-D Biofungicide,” Brekkas says.

UPL is a world leader in sustainable agriculture products and solutions, and the largest manufacturer and distributor of Biosolutions worldwide. NPP’s extensive capabilities and portfolio will play a vital role in helping to deliver tailored solutions to specific crops and regions in the U.S. and Canada, addressing issues such as abiotic stress, soil health, residues and resistance management.