CMM and Certis USA to develop new plant stress technologies

Date:11-22-2010

Crop Microclimate Management Inc. (CMM) and Certis have entered into agreements to develop and market new abiotic (environmental) stress management products. The agreements between the two companies include a distribution agreement for Certis USA to market CMM’s Screen Duo and an exclusive license agreement for CMM’s patent-pending G3 technology, for use in fruit and vegetables in the NAFTA region. Screen Duo sales and marketing activities will start immediately while the G3 technology is in accelerated development with market entry targeted for 2013.

The Screen Duo brand offers advanced technology for the management of crop stress due to adverse environmental conditions. Screens Duo protects fruit and vegetables by eliminating losses due to excess heat, light, and drought. It is based on CMM’s Fusion Technology that combines dual modes of action to protect plants from the inside out. The dual action means that Screen Duo provides protection at lower rates, providing better yields and crop quality.

G3 technology uses naturally-occurring dicarboxylic acids to assist plants in maintaining productivity under adverse environmental conditions, such as excess heat, light, and drought. Results from replicated trials conducted in annual and perennial crops show that G3 compounds applied at low rates (grams per acre) can reduce stress-related plant productivity issues, such as flower abortion, fruit set, fruit sizing, fruit retention, and sunburn, resulting in increased yield of higher quality fruits and vegetables. These studies were conducted in annual and perennial crops. Under conditions of high temperatures and intense solar radiation, yields of G3 treated crops were increased by as much as 75% over the untreated with use rates as low as 2 to 8 grams per acre, per application.

"With G3 technology, we are utilizing basic natural plant constituents to activate the crops’ innate defenses against environmental stresses. G3 compounds appear to act at a fundamental point in the stress signaling pathway, inducing protection against a broad range of stress factors simultaneously,” says CMM president Dr. Chuck Kupatt.

"Abiotic stress management is the new frontier for the biopesticide industry, which has traditionally focused on discovering and marketing naturally occurring compounds for insect, disease, and weed control,” says Certis USA president and CEO Dr. Jow-Lih Su. “Natural compounds also provide abundant opportunities to achieve yield and quality improvements for growers that were once beyond reach.”

For more information, visit www.cropstress.com and Certisusa.com">www.Certisusa.com.