California approves expanded crop group product label for Plant Health Care's Employ^®

Plant Health Care^® (AIM.PHC.L), a leading provider of peptides used by growers to improve crop production and quality within global agriculture markets, announced the approval of an expanded product label which lists a range of new crops approved for foliar applications of Employ^® (Harpinαβ) within high value markets in California with Wilbur-Ellis^®, one of the largest U.S. retailers of agricultural products.   

Highlights

• The expanded Employ product label allows use of Employ on a wide variety of crops and crop groups including citrus, berries and small fruits, pome and stone fruit trees, brassica and other vegetables including root and tuber vegetables, as well as field crops including cereals, corn, and oilseeds. 

• Efficacy claims are focused in California on the suppression of nematode egg production within the rhizosphere of Employ treated crops. 

• Extensive field trials denote crop safety, indicate commercially acceptable efficacy, and suggest improved grower return on investment across a variety of California crops.

• Wilbur-Ellis has been the exclusive distributor of Employ since 2019 across the U.S. in the specialty crops market, which is estimated to be over 8 million acres in the U.S.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation ("CDPR") has approved the expanded Employ product label, building upon the initial CDPR approval received in 2020 which allowed the use of Employ on tree nuts and grapes for the suppression of nematode egg production. Plant-parasitic nematodes have a significant impact on California agriculture, causing severe crop losses, reduced yields and quality, and stunted crop growth.

Employ is a recombinant protein that acts as a biochemical pesticide, activating the innate defense system within treated plants and leading to consistent and commercially acceptable protection of roots from nematode damage as part of an integrated pest management and crop production system. Outside of California, Employ is used to improve plant vigor, yield and crop quality while suppressing nematode egg production. The Company sells Harpinαβ through strategic distributors and partners around the world.

Compared with alternative biological products, Employ brings highly consistent product efficacy across a broad spectrum of application and environmental conditions and proven return on investment. Additionally, Employ brings growers convenience as it is compatible with many commonly used fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides in tank-mix and sequential application programs. Employ has no special requirements for storing or handling, which allows greater flexibility within the distribution channel and ease of on-farm application.   

Jeff Tweedy, CEO of Plant Health Care, said: ‟Wilbur-Ellis has been successfully promoting Employ since 2019 and I am pleased that following this new approval, Employ will be available to additional growers in California to support their production goals across an expanded range of new crops in this high value market.

"The expanded Employ California label supports the Company's vision to be a leading global provider of alternatives to conventional synthetic agrochemicals. We are excited to continue working with Wilbur-Ellis to bring the benefits of Employ to a wide range of growers in California for the 2024 season."

Chris Wooley, Portfolio Manager - Specialty Actives, of Wilbur-Ellis, said: "Employ has proven its value for farmers across the U.S. Now, with this expanded California label more growers will have access to Employ and the benefits it brings, helping them to sustainably produce their crops."

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