California approves MBI's Regalia biofungicide for soil applications

Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (MBI) announced the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) has approved a significant label expansion for Regalia® (active ingredient: extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), the company's biofungicide that triggers a plant’s natural defenses to fight fungal and bacterial diseases.  
 
Regalia’s new California label includes approval of expanded soil applications—including in-furrow sprays, pre-plant dips, shanked-in applications and soil drenches.  The chemigation section was also expanded to include drip irrigation instructions for controlling soilborne pathogens and improving overall plant health, growth, and yield.
 
"With this label expansion, Regalia now offers California growers the widest range of application flexibility for disease control available on the market," said Russell Blair, Regalia Product Manager. “Regalia users have long benefited from foliar applications, and now with the addition of soil uses, growers can add an extra measure of defense against yield-robbing pathogens."
 
Regalia’s activity against economically damaging soilborne pathogens such as Pythium, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia and Phytophthora has been well documented by MBI as well as through independent third party research.
 
"With the expanded label, growers can now employ disease management from planting to harvest and reap the benefits of improved survivability, enhanced plant vigor, and increased marketable yield." says Tim Johnson, Ph.D., MBI’s Global Director of Product Development.
 
Regalia’s unique active ingredient switches on a plant’s natural defense mechanisms, causing it to produce and accumulate higher levels of natural proteins and other compounds that inhibit disease development.
 
Regalia can be used in tank mixes, in program rotations or as a stand-alone product. It can be applied at any time by air, ground, or chemigation and is rain fast in one hour. Regalia features a 4-hour re-entry interval (REI) and a zero day pre-harvest interval (PHI), allowing greater operational flexibility and no residue issues at harvest. In addition, it is compliant with the National Organic Program (NOP), is listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and is exempt from maximum residue levels (MRL) on exported food crops.