Marrone Bio Innovations launches Haven Anti-transpirant, enters into biostimulant market

Anti-transpirants are compounds applied to the leaves of plants to reduce transpiration, the evaporation of water from plant leaves to cool plants. In stressful environments, such as intense sunlight or drought, excess transpiration causes significant damage to crops.
 

“MBI is focused on developing and commercializing innovative products that address unmet market needs and deliver value to growers,” said Pam Marrone, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MBI.  “We are pleased to enter the biostimulant market and expand our product portfolio with the launch of Haven, which offers growers a new technology that reduces sun stress in crops, increases crop yields and improves quality.”
 

Haven is derived from plant-based compounds that reflect light and heat to maintain lower leaf temperatures while at the same time reducing water loss, resulting in less stress to the crop and higher yields and quality. When two to four applications are sprayed on crops generally starting at early fruit/nut set,
Haven has reduced sun stress and increased yields for certain apple varieties, almonds, walnuts, grapes, citrus, tomatoes, corn, wheat and turf.  Field trials have also demonstrated a reduction of bitter pit in apples. Bitter pit is caused by a calcium deficiency that causes serious crop losses in certain apple varieties.
 

Unlike most current sun stress/anti-transpirant products on the market today that form a physical barrier to block the sun, Haven brings the added benefit to growers of leaving no visible deposit or residue on the crop.
 

Various market research firms estimate the biostimulant market at approximately $1.5 billion in 2015, growing by 10.4%-13.6% annually to reach more than $3 billion in 2021 or 2022 (MarketsandMarkets, Zion Market Research and Mordor Intelligence). In 2013, Piper Jaffray estimated the biostimulant market at $1 billion with a 20% compounded annual growth rate. The biopesticide market, which includes pest management/crop protection products is estimated at $3 billion this year, growing at similar annual rates as biostimulants (BCC Research, MarketsandMarkets, AgroPages).
 

MBI drives its growth by focusing on new product launches, expansion of its existing products to new crops and pests, and expansion of its distribution channels into new international markets. In doing so, MBI continues to be a pacesetter in the launch of new products. MBI launched its first nematicide, Majestene, in 2016 and is expanding into more crops and uses. Haven represents another first for MBI as its first biostimulant and first new product launch for 2017.