Vive Crop Protection and Marrone Bio Innovations join forces to bring next-generation crop protection solutions to growers


TORONTO and DAVIS, Calif., Aug. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBII) (MBI), an international leader in sustainable bioprotection and plant health solutions, and Vive Crop Protection, a leader in Precision Chemistry solutions and owner of the patented Allosperse® technology, announced an agreement that will provide a suite of ground-breaking products for U.S. growers that combine a leading biological with proven conventional chemistry utilizing the unique Allosperse Delivery System.

The first product to come from this joint effort will be AZterknot™ FC, a fungicide for broad crop use marketed by Vive Crop Protection. It fuses the plant health benefits of two actives: Reynoutria extract, the active ingredient in biological market-leader Regalia®, and the disease-fighting power of azoxystrobin, the active ingredient in AZteroid® FC 3.3.

AZterknot FC will also contain Vive’s Allosperse Delivery System technology, which provides superior handling characteristics including compatibility with in-furrow, pop-up and foliar liquid fertilizers. Pending EPA registration approval, the product will be approved for foliar and in-furrow application on all major crops in the U.S. (excluding California).

Dan Bihlmeyer, vice president of sales and marketing with Vive Crop Protection says, “The collaboration with MBI allows us to bring growers the best of three approaches to crop protection: chemistry, biologicals and nanotechnology. With AZterknot FC, growers will have access to the combined power of a leading biological and of a proven fungicide chemistry. Research has shown that the two actives, in combination with the Allosperse Delivery System, work together to control disease, improve plant health, and increase yield.”

MBI will also market a version of the product to specialty crop growers when regulatory approval is granted. Regalia is one of the most used biologicals in the specialty crop market and the combination with azoxystrobin and the Allosperse technology will provide specialty crop growers with the convenience of a single product that delivers enhanced performance and improved yield in a highly compatible formulation.

“Our partnership with Vive is an example of how MBI has focused on growth by creating innovative and integrated crop management solutions for growers of a wide range of crops,” said Kevin Hammill, chief commercial officer for Marrone Bio Innovations. “These next-generation BioUnite products will not only give U.S. growers access to effective crop protection technology, but it will allow them to better manage their crops by harnessing the power of biologicals with the performance of chemistry.”

Regulatory approval for AZterknot FC is expected in mid-2021 and will be available through distributor and retail commercial channels in the U.S.

About Vive Crop Protection
Vive creates Precision Chemistry to expand the horizons of Precision Ag. Using the Allosperse® Delivery System, Vive greatly improves the targeting and performance of chemical and biological active ingredients, helping growers achieve real results.

For more information, visit www.vivecrop.com.

About Marrone Bio Innovations
Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. (NASDAQ: MBII) is a growth-oriented company leading the movement to a more sustainable world through the discovery, development and sale of innovative biological products for crop protection, plant health and waterway systems treatment that help customers operate more sustainably while increasing their return on investment. MBI has screened over 18,000 microorganisms and 350 plant extracts, leveraging its in-depth knowledge of plant and soil microbiomes enhanced by advanced molecular technologies and natural product chemistry to rapidly develop seven product lines. Supported by a robust portfolio of over 400 issued and pending patents, MBI’s currently available commercial products are Regalia®, Stargus®, Grandevo®, Venerate®, Majestene®, Haven®, Pacesetter™, Zelto® Jet Oxide® and Jet Ag® and Zequanox®, with a next-generation insecticide-nematicide, a breakthrough bioherbicide and a biofumigant in the Company’s product pipeline. MBI’s Pro Farm Finland-based subsidiary employs a proprietary technology derived from wood waste to stimulate plant growth and improve plant health, resulting in improved yields and crop quality. Products include UBP™ 110, Foramin®, UBP™ Seed Treatment, Foramin® ST.

Learn more about Marrone Bio Innovations at www.marronebio.com. We also use our investor relations website, https://investors.marronebio.com, as well as our corporate Twitter account, @Marronebio, as means of disclosing material non-public information, and encourage our investors and others to monitor and review the information we make public in these locations. Follow us on social media: TwitterLinkedIn and Instagram.

Marrone Bio Innovations Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding strategy, future operations and plans, including assumptions underlying such statements, are forward-looking statements, and should not be relied upon as representing MBI’s views as of any subsequent date. Such forward-looking statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date of this release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some beyond the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements, including, the potential of Regalia pre-mixture with Vive, weather, the novel coronavirus COVID-19, regulatory and other factors affecting demand for the MBI’s products, any difficulty in marketing MBI’s products in its target markets, competition in the market for pest management products, lack of understanding of bio-based pest management products by customers and growers. Additional information that could lead to material changes in MBI’s performance is contained in its filings with the SEC. MBI is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to, update or alter forward-looking statements contained in this release, whether as a result of current information, future events or otherwise.

Vive Crop Protection Contact:
Dan Bihlmeyer, VP Sales and Marketing
hello@vivecrop.com
1-810-852-2828

Marrone Bio Innovations Contact:
Kevin Hammill, Chief Commercial Officer
info@marronebio.com
1-530-750-2800

Investor Relations Contact:
Greg Falesnik or Luke Zimmerman
MZ Group – MZ North America
Phone: 949-385-6449
MBII@mzgroup.us

AZterknotTM, AZteroid® and Allosperse® are trademarks of Vive Crop Protection Inc.
Regalia® and all other marks are trademarks of Marrone Bio Innovations