"We used chemicals for a long time, simply because they were available"

The use of biological pesticides and fungicides is gaining more and more in popularity by the day, not only with organic growers, but also conventional greenhouse growers are trying to sustain their businesses with biological pest management in their crop cycles. Restrictions and tightening on agrochemicals are going to continue in a plus towards sustainability, a global trend that everyone is aware of. As a result of this some interesting new biological solutions have entered or are about to enter the market. According to Pam Marrone from Marrone Bio Innovations, there is a biological solution available for any problem. "We used chemicals for a long time, simply because it was available. Nobody looked long enough to natural solutions in the past. There is a wide world out there to look and hunt for these things."

Marrone Bio Innovations discovers, develops and markets natural product for pest management and plant health. "We look for naturally occurring organisms and plant extracts and turn them into useful products that can control insects, plant diseases, weeds and even invasive mussels", said the company's CEO Pam Marrone. Especially for horticulture, Marrone Bio Innovations offers two products that can help growers reduce the use of chemicals and implement a more natural way of pest control in their operations.

"One of the products we offer for horticultural growers is Regalia®", said Marrone. "This is an extract of giant knotweed, which is an invasive plant. The extract of the weed can be sprayed on the crop and stops plant diseased like mildew and leaf spots. It also improves the plant ' s health, size of flowers or fruits and vegs. Currently we are awaiting the European approval for this bioprotection product. After approval Regalia will be marketed in the EU by Syngenta, our European partner." Regalia is already successfully marketed in the US for three years, and starting in its second year in Canada. "Especially tomato, pepper and cucurbit crops, greenhouses, open field, large and small."

Video: The use of Regalia on grapes:

Another horticultural solution from Marrone Bio Innovations is Grandevo®,a biopesticide thats kills insects thanks to a unique mode of action. "This contains a new species of bacterium that produces compounds which kill insects by stopping their egg laying and egg hatching", said Marrone. "Simply said, it stops the reproduction of insects by disturbing them in their propagation. It only kills insects that harm the growers crop like white fly, thrips, aphids, mites and mealybugs. On the other hand it is very soft and it doesn't harm bees, predatory mites or other beneficials."

Currently Marrone Bio Innovations is running trials with Grandevo in greenhouses. "It has been approved for organic ond conventional growing in the US and we are initiating European approaval as we speak", Marrone stated. "All of our products are approved for organic production. However, the majority of our users are growers that have a conventional operation."

As restrictions for chemicals are growing , Marrone hopes that authorities will speed up the approvals for natural, biological solutions. "There is a big demand for biological systems from growers, organic and conventional. However, the regulatory systems in Europe are sometimes taking a lot of time, but stay in there, there will be a solution available for all of your problems in the future."

For more information:
Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc.
Pam Marrone
2121 Second Street, Suite B-107
Davis, CA 95618
T: 530-750-2800 office/lab
pmarrone@marronebio.com
http://www.marronebioinnovations.com/

@pammarrone