Marrone Bio Innovations receives California approval for MAJESTENE® bionematicide

MAJESTENE, based on a novel bacterium that produces nematicidal compounds, was developed from MBI’s in-house discovery screening process and provides growers with a new mode of action for safely controlling nematodes by reducing or stopping eggs from hatching, preventing root galling and reducing nematode population density. Experts estimate that plant parasitic nematodes cause approximately $100 billion in global damage to crops annually. According to pesticide usage data from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, more than 9 million pounds of toxic fumigants were used in California in 2015, some of which are targeted for nematode control.
 

“We are pleased with MAJESTENE’S approval in California, as this new bionematicide addresses a large market need created by heavy restrictions on chemicals used to control nematodes and the need for easier-to-use biologicals that reduce multiple species of nematode populations,” said Tony Torres, MBI’s insecticide/nematicide product manager/Nematicide Product Manager.
 

MAJESTENE provides an important, new tool for California growers, as DPR recently announced new restrictions, to start January 1, 2017, further restricting the use of the chemical fumigant nematicide/pesticide 1,3-Dichloropropene, known commercially as Telone®. In California, this fumigant is used most often on the Central Coast and in the San Joaquin Valley. The new restrictions will limit Telone application to 136,000 pounds within each “township,” or 6-mile by 6-mile area of land, per year. Currently, those limits range between 90,250 and 180,500 pounds per year.
 

MAJESTENE is labeled for a wide array of crops against multiple nematodes such as root knot, cyst, sting and lance and is approved for use in conventional and organic systems. It is available in a liquid formulation and can be applied at planting and in-season through irrigation systems with no limit on the number of applications allowed per season. MAJESTENE has the minimum four-hour re-entry interval. The product is non-toxic to fish, birds and most beneficial insects, and also has the advantages of a zero-day pre-harvest interval (PHI) and an exemption from MRL (maximum residue level) tolerances — a measure of pesticide residue limits that must be met for most food crop exports.
 

MBI is conducting trials with researchers and demonstrations with California growers on a range of target crops such as carrots, trees and vines.