Marrone's Products Win The Int'l Biocontrol Mfgrs Assn's Award For A Novel Solution

Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (MBI) (NASDAQ: MBII), a leading global provider of bio-based pest management and plant health products, recently announced that the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) awarded MBI the 2018 Bernard Blum Award for a Novel Biocontrol Solution at its annual general assembly in Basel, Switzerland. 

 

The award was given for three products, Venerate insecticide, Majestene nematicide and MBI-014 herbicide, which are all based on a new species of non-living bacteria, Burkholderia rinojensis. This species, which was discovered by MBI, produces several natural compounds with notable pesticidal activity, which work together to control a broad range of pests and weeds, while remaining non-toxic and low risk to non-target organisms, such as honeybees. 

 

The three distinct products, derived from a single microbe, meet important grower needs in today's changing environment of pest control options and increasing channel demands. Venerate controls many chewing and sucking insects and mites, as well as flies on crops such as almonds, leafy greens, grapes, citrus, apples, berries and coffee. Majestene controls root knot, dagger, burrowing, sting, cyst and other plant parasitic nematodes on crops such as potatoes, cucurbits, bananas, berries, and turf. MBI-014, recently submitted to the EPA, is particularly strong on glyphosate-resistant weeds in the pigweed family. Its novel mode of action is one of the few, if any, new herbicidal modes of action since the 1980s. 

 

"We are proud to have won such a prestigious award within the biological pest management industry," said Pam Marrone, CEO and Founder of Marrone Bio Innovations. "We thank the IBMA for recognizing the innovative work our scientists perform every day. The unique microbe we discovered, Burkholderia rinojensis, is effective across an unmatched spectrum of target pests, including weeds, insects, mites and nematodes, while remaining low risk to non-target organisms. We look forward to continuing to bring innovative new biological pest control solutions to market in order to help farmers solve some of their toughest problems," concluded Marrone. 

 

The Bernard Blum award and trophy are dedicated to IBMA's founding father, who laid the foundation for the IBMA in 1995 after observing an important and growing industry in the field of plant protection. Every year since 2015, an independent jury selects a winning biocontrol product, among a number of entries, which provides an effective solution in the management of pests or diseases while having a low impact on human health and the environment.

Source: Marrone Bio Innovations