Vive Crop Protection has revealed that its fungicide AZterknot received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. AZterknot fungicide is the world’s first three-way fungicide combination that harnesses the benefits of biologicals, the performance of chemistry and the ease of Vive’s Allosperse technology.
Registered in a broad range of crops for soil and foliar applications, AZterknot provides the plant health and disease control benefits of two market-leading active ingredients: Reynoutria extract and azoxystrobin, the disease-fighting active found in AZteroid FC 3.3 from Vive Crop Protection. These two modes of action combine with Vive’s patented Allosperse technology to provide unparalleled handling ease and efficiency, systemic disease control, and activation of the plant’s natural defense mechanisms. The proprietary Allosperse nano-polymer technology developed allows previously incompatible products to be mixed and applied in one application, reducing fuel, time, and water usage.
Biopesticides such as AZterknot are required to be made from ingredients that are usually live microorganisms. While certain ingredients in this category have their perks — such as generally having lower toxicity for handling and application — some shortcomings have been reported.
“Biologicals are a large and growing segment, because they add additional performance and environmental benefits,” said Darren Anderson, CEO of Vive Crop Protection. “But until now, delivering them to the field has been a challenge.”
According to a recent Lux Research report, Joshua Haslun says, “One of the greatest challenges for biological products [is] in wide distribution and competition with conventional synthetics. Solving for shelf life and compatibility issues when used in combination with synthetic products would be a blockbuster advance for a biological product. With this in mind, Vive’s current partnership with Marrone represents an opportunity to prove the additive value of the Allosperse technology.”
Vive Crop Protection states that its products are estimated to have saved U.S. farmers 34 million gallons of water, 189,000 gallons of fuel, and 15,000 hours of farm labor since 2018, and AZterknot could help build upon that.
