Wilmington, Delaware, USA
June 20, 2023
Nichino America, Inc. and BioConsortia, Inc. have announced a supply agreement for Nichino to market and sell BEC-60 biofungicide in the U.S. and Canada.
BioConsortia invented and developed BEC-60, a novel microbial fungicide. It is a broad spectrum biofungicide for control of several key diseases in apples, berries, grapes, stone fruits, and vegetables. Further, Nichino is conducting extensive testing to evaluate BEC-60 on additional pathogens and crops.
“It is exciting to add a biological product to our portfolio,” says Dustin Simmons, President of Nichino America, Inc. “BEC-60 will offer conventional and organic farmers effective control of diseases on important crops, providing a quality yield while managing residues on the final commodity. This new partnership with BioConsortia will enable both organizations to utilize their exceptional research and development capabilities to introduce diverse crop protection solutions to align with the demands of today’s agriculture production,” adds Simmons.
To discover BEC-60, BioConsortia leveraged the company’s unique platform for discovery of microbial products. “Our Advanced Microbial System results in biopesticide products like BEC-60 which offer strong performance for growers,” said Marcus Meadows-Smith, CEO at BioConsortia. “The integration of microbial and conventional chemistries gives farmers benefits in terms of diverse modes of action to prevent the development of resistance and improved efficacy. We look forward to Nichino’s launch of this patent-protected product alongside their broad portfolio of crop protection products.”
The registration package for BEC-60 has been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is pending approval with state registrations to follow thereafter. Product launch is anticipated 2024-2025.
About Nichino America, Inc.
A research and technology driven company, Nichino America, Inc. offers crop protection products to producers of food and fiber. Nichino manufactures and sells solutions for weed, insect, and disease control as well as defoliation and desiccation. These products are known for targeted performance, flexibility, and ease of application. Nichino strives to be a valuable partner in the agricultural business by offering customers innovative and efficacious products backed by extensive research.
About BioConsortia
BioConsortia, Inc. develops superior microbial products that protect plants, enhance fertility, and increase yields while improving the sustainability of agriculture for our environment. Pioneering the use of directed selection within microbial communities, our patented Advanced Microbial Selection (AMS) process and cutting-edge GenePro genomics and gene-engineering platform enable us to predict, design, and unleash the natural power of microbes.
BioConsortia’s microbial products deliver superior efficacy, higher consistency, and easier grower adoption. Our rich pipeline includes nitrogen fixation microbes to replace synthetic nitrogen fertilizers; nutrient use efficiency and biostimulants to increase crop yields; bionematicides & biofungicides to protect crops from pests and diseases; and products for post-harvest pathogen control to safeguard food waste in the distribution chain, retail store and home. BioConsortia is producing breakthrough solutions for growers in major agricultural markets with multiple environmental benefits.