- Second year with better disease control against sclerotinia head rot
- Successful demonstration of new honeybee dispenser system
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Jan. 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bee Vectoring Technologies (the “Company” or “BVT”) (TSXV:BEE) is pleased to announce successful results from trials in sunflowers conducted during 2017.
The trials were designed to evaluate the ability of the BVT system consisting of a bee hive with dispenser technology through which BVT’s proprietary plant beneficial microbe is delivered to crops, to manage sclerotinia head rot, an invasive fungal disease that causes high levels of loss in sunflowers and currently has no viable method of prevention. This was the second year of trials in sunflowers in collaboration with North Dakota State University, and the first year in which both BVT’s current bumble bee hive dispenser and the new honeybee hive dispenser were tested.
In replicated trials conducted at North Dakota State University (NDSU) using bumblebees, the BVT system delivered a 47% reduction in incidence and a 20% reduction in the severity of sclerotinia head rot on average across three different observations. Similar level of reductions in disease were seen in the trials conducted in 2016. Yield differences could not be quantified this year due to collection issues during the harvest.
Additionally, a commercial demonstration with the new honeybee dispenser system was conducted on portions of a 200-acre field that is part of a large farming operation in the Munich, North Dakota area. There was generally low disease pressure in the field this year, but the crop in areas within the range of the flight of bees showed further disease suppression, and yield increases.
“The overall sclerotinia disease pressure was generally low this year but the BVT system showed good potential both from a disease control and yield perspective,” said grower, Craig Schommer. “Additional testing will be required under higher pressure to fully quantify the benefits. I look forward to working with NDSU and BVT in 2018 and would like to test on both confectionary and oil varieties.”
BVT CEO, Ashish Malik added, “We now have two years of excellent results in sunflowers, and were pleased with how well the prototype honeybee dispenser worked. Sunflowers are a lower value crop compared to strawberries and growers have very limited choices in battling disease in the crop since chemical sprays are not economically viable. We are excited about the tremendous opportunities that exist in commercial scalability using honeybees. With many more insects per hive, a single hive can cover greater acreage making this an attractive economic fit for growers.”
Sunflowers is a significant crop in the US with close to 1.4 million planted acres. There are two distinct market segments: oil production and confectionary. The company estimates the total market opportunity for its technology to be around CAD $30 million annually in the crop.
About Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc.
BVT has developed and owns patent-pending bee vectoring technology that is designed to harmlessly utilize bumblebees and honeybees as natural delivery mechanisms for a variety of powdered mixtures comprised of organic compounds that inhibit or control common crop diseases, while at the same time enhancing crop vigor and productivity. This unique and proprietary process enables a targeted delivery of crop controls using the simple process of bee pollination to replace traditional crop spraying, resulting in better yields, superior quality, and less impact on the environment without the use of water or disruptions to labour.
Additional information can be viewed at the Company’s website www.beevt.com
On Behalf of Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc.,
“Ashish Malik”
President & CEO
For further information, please contact:
Ashish Malik, President & CEO
marketing@beevt.com
Babak Pedram, Investor Relations
Virtus Advisory Group
Tel: 416-995-8651
bpedram@virtusadvisory.com
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Josh Stanbury | josh@sjspr.co.uk | T. 416-628-7441
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Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, “annual revenue potential”, are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Company’s current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including: planted acres of sunflowers, selling price of competitive chemical pesticides and the US to Canadian dollar exchange rate. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. These factors include changes in law, competition, litigation, the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities, state of the capital markets, the availability of funds and resources to pursue operations, new technologies, the ability to protect intellectual property rights, the ability to obtain patent protection for products, third-party intellectual property infringement claims, regulatory changes affecting products, failing research and development activities, the ability to reach and sustain profitability, dependence on business and technical experts, the ability to effectively manage business operations and growth, issuance of debt, dilution of existing securities, volatility of publicly traded securities, potential conflicts of interest, unlikelihood of dividend payments, the potential costs stemming from defending third-party intellectual property infringement claims, the ability to secure relationships with manufacturers and purchasers, as well as general economic, market and business conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company’s Filing Statement dated May 29, 2015, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law. All figures are in Canadian dollars.