Winchester, United Kingdom
July 11, 2018
Exosect Ltd. has announced today that it has granted Monsanto Company a licence to use its Entostat® technology for the delivery of select agricultural biologicals as seed treatments. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Exosect’s CEO, Andrew MacNaughton, comments, “Improving the delivery of microbials is a key benefit of our proprietary formulation platform, Entostat. Discovery in the use of ag biologicals and their bioactive compounds is a growth area for agriculture, however formulation and delivery remain key challenges. This technology offers Monsanto the opportunity to optimise the delivery of certain biological products.”
“Ag biologicals can provide real benefits like improving nutrient uptake, promoting growth and yield, as well as providing insect control and disease protection,” said Jeremy Williams, Monsanto Vice President of Biotechnology and Ag Productivity Innovations. “In order for ag biologicals to work as seed coatings, you need a reliable delivery system – and the Entostat platform is a potential method of achieving this.”
This deal follows the previous announcement of a licence to a leading agrochemical company of a dual formulation of two chemistries at significantly reduced rates.
Entostat technology relates to a proprietary micro-powder, based on natural and/or synthetic waxes and has electrostatic properties. It is a lean formulation delivery platform for a wide range of synthetic and biological active ingredients. It enables a significant reduction of synthetic active ingredient with equivalent or improved efficacy. For microbial organisms, Entostat can provide various benefits such as higher loading, increased longevity and uniformity in delivery. It can deliver fungi, bacteria and viruses, the delivery of which is key to the success of future revolutionary crop protection technology.
Entostat adheres to a range of surfaces including, seeds, grains, pellets, insects and foliage and building fabrics. It can be formulated in dry and wet formats.
Importantly, the constituents of Entostat are listed on FIFRA 25(b)1 list of inert ingredients that can be used in pesticide products that are exempt from regulation. The technology platform is supported by a patent portfolio.
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