Sep 20, 2018

EPA OKs SPEAR-LEP bioinsecticide for use on outdoor crops

Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Vestaron has received approval from the EPA of its Spear-Lep bioinsecticide for control of lepidopterans in high-value field crops.

This approval makes Spear-Lep the second peptide-based product developed by Vestaron, following the full EPA approval and subsequent commercial launch of Spear-T for greenhouse crops this July.

The SPEAR family of bioinsecticides offer an unprecedented insect control solution – providing the efficacy of a synthetic with the safety profile of a biologic.  These products have a zero-day pre-harvest interval and are designed to be non-toxic to mammals, birds, fish, honeybees and other beneficial insects. 

“We are pleased to add yet another environmentally favorable product to growers’ options for highly-effective pest control,” said Anna Rath, Vestaron’s chief executive officer. “Spear-Lep will for the first time offer Vestaron’s peptide-based, sustainable biopesticides to protect field-grown fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops against lepidopteran pests.”

Full commercial availability of the Spear-Lep is expected in early 2019.  

Vestaron is a company dedicated to improving the safety, efficacy and sustainability of crop protection through migration from chemical pesticides to biological peptides.  Vestaron is initially focused on a class of peptides that kill insect pests efficiently, but are safe for humans, birds, fish and the environment. As part of this, the company has developed fermentation-based peptide production and insect resistant crop platform that will allow it to develop a wide variety of biologic crop protection and trait products. Vestaron is the winner of the inaugural 2015 Bernard Blum Award for novel biocontrol solutions.

More information at www.vestaron.com.