Jun 21, 2023

Nichino America to distribute biofungicide in U.S., Canada

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. 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,” Dustin Simmons, president of Nichino America, said in a news release. “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,” Simmons said in the release.

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,” Marcus Meadows-Smith, CEO at BioConsortia, said in the release. “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,” he said in the release.

The registration package for BEC-60 has been submitted to the EPA and is pending approval with state registrations to follow thereafter. Product launch is anticipated 2024-25.