North Carolina, US-based KHH Biosci Inc. – using technology discovered at BASF – developed a new pesticide made from plants; the assets of KHH were purchased by Marrone Organic Innovations Inc. in early 2008. Marrone Organic has launched this new pesticide, Regalia SC, for use controlling fungal and bacterial disease in fruit, vegetable, and ornamental crops.
Marrone Organic’s press release describes Regalia SC, made from an extract of giant knotweed, as turning on the plants’ natural defense mechanisms; the plants then produce and accumulate higher levels of natural proteins that inhibit disease development. The company says the pesticide, which has gone through over 100 field trials, provides the same level of control as conventional fungicides.
Earlier this month, Marrone Organic added US $900,000 in new financing to the $10 million it closed on this summer.
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