U.S. EPA approves a dry formulation of MBI's Grandevo

Date:05-11-2012


Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. (MBI) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a new, dry formulation of Grandevo™, the company’s advanced biological broad-spectrum insecticide/miticide for protecting crops against chewing and sucking insects and mites. Grandevo is approved for use on ornamental plants and edible crops in field and greenhouse applications, and allows flexibility in air and ground applications (AgroNews 2011-10-12).

"We're pleased to offer this product to the industry, as trial results show that Grandevo meets or exceeds the performance of some of the industry's leading pesticides,” MBI CEO Pam Marrone said. “With Grandevo, growers now have a broad-spectrum product that delivers high performance without chemical residues. It offers longer control intervals than typical natural products and is of low risk to beneficial insects, making Grandevo a unique addition to integrated pest management programs. In addition, its complex mode of action aids in resistance management with synthetic chemicals."

Grandevo, and its predecessor formulation MBI-203 (approved by the EPA in 2011), are derived from a newly discovered species of Chromobacterium subtsugae. A scientific breakthrough, this novel biopesticide features a complex mode of action and was first put to use in the Florida citrus market in 2011 to control Asian citrus psyllid—the vector for the lethal citrus greening disease.

Commercial applications and results from studies and trials conducted by universities and third-party researchers demonstrate that Grandevo is effective at controlling a wide variety of pests, including Asian citrus psyllids, armyworms and other pest caterpillars, whiteflies, leaf miners, pepper weevils, peach twig borers, thrips, mites, stinkbugs, mealybugs and white grubs. Pest control has been tested on a range of crops, including citrus, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, strawberries and almonds.

Controlling insects such as Asian citrus psyllid requires an integrated program of cultural and biological strategies in addition to insecticide applications. Unfortunately, pests are increasingly resistant to synthetic pesticides, and growers must turn to products with different chemistries and modes of action to be effective and to manage resistance on an ongoing basis. Grandevo's complex mode of action makes it an ideal partner for resistance management. In addition, when used as directed, Grandevo won’t interfere with beneficial insect activity, a critical feature for integrated pest management.

Recognized by AgProfessional as "one of the most innovative products of 2011" and winner of an Editors’ Choice New Product of the Year award, Grandevo represents a key advancement for modern pest management strategies.

Grandevo is tolerance exempt on food crops, a key benefit for exported crops that are subject to maximum residue levels. Other advantages include a minimum four-hour re-entry interval (REI) and zero-day pre-harvest interval (PHI), which provide growers with additional operational flexibility because they can enter fields to work or harvest crops soon after application. Grandevo is compliant with the National Organic Program (NOP) and listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI).