Marrone Bio and Corteva Agriscience announce new distribution contract

Growers in Europe will have access to a novel, sustainable option for enhancing plant health and crop quality through a new agreement between Pro Farm Technologies, a subsidiary of Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (MBI) (NASDAQ: MBII) and Corteva Agriscience (NYSE: CTVA). Under the agreement, Corteva will be the exclusive European distributor for Kinsidro^® Grow, a novel, foliar bionutrient that delivers key nutrients resulting in increased plant vigor.

“This agreement combines Marrone Bio’s leadership in the development of biological, sustainable crop solutions with Corteva’s global market leadership. Working with Corteva, we will bring our game-changing foliar technology to European growers who know and trust Corteva,” said Kevin Helash, chief executive officer of Marrone Bio Innovations.

Kinsidro Grow is a proprietary product developed by Pro Farm Technologies that optimizes nutrient conditions in plants resulting in improved plant health and crop quality. Through foliar application on crops during the vegetative growth stage, the bionutrient delivers better yields and more favorable returns on investment. Kinsidro Grow is also easy to use and compatible with a grower’s current agronomic practices.

“Corteva Agriscience continues to bring new and innovative solutions to market by offering natural-origin products that improve crop performance, resilience, and work complementarily with our conventional crop protection solutions,” said Susanne Wasson, President, Crop Protection Business Platform, Corteva Agriscience. “We’re excited to work with Marrone Bio to scale up and maximize sustainable options that help farmers meet changing environmental conditions while keeping their crops productive and healthy.”

This collaboration represents another step forward for Corteva’s expanding global biologicals portfolio, which is dedicated to developing biostimulants, biofertilizers, bionutrients, biocontrol and pheromone products with proven, predictable performance. Kinsidro Grow will provide value through enhanced crop vitality and enhancing yield potential and sustainability, in line with the Corteva Agriscience 2030 Sustainability Goals.

The multi-year agreement, which goes into immediate effect, applies to European row crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton, and builds on the successful seed treatment agreement between both companies. In 2021, Pro Farm Technologies’ novel micronutrient seed treatment and growth promoter, Lumidapt^®, was applied on more than 10 million Pioneer^® corn, winter rapeseed, and sunflower seed hectares (25 million acres).

Marrone Bio’s Senior Vice-President of International Sales Matti Tianen added: “Corteva has a strong pulse on the needs of farmers throughout the region and is uniquely positioned to deliver our breakthrough fertilizer technology. We have spent a significant amount of time securing regulatory approvals and building technical sales knowledge, so we are ready to hit the ground running. We anticipate this partnership will be a material portion of our foliar fertilizer sales starting in the 2022 growing season.”