California-based biopesticide company AgraQuest exhibited at last week’s ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA for the first time, introducing its low-chemical and biological pest management-disease control solutions to the international produce industry.
“We develop and manufacture bio-pesticides and fungicides,” explained AgraQuest’s vice president of sales Cesar Lamonega. “Most of our products are certified organic as they are derived from existing beneficial bacteria.”
The company breeds and patents strains of bacteria and harvests their byproducts – metabolites – to be sprayed on fresh fruits and vegetables as fungicides and insecticides.
“Approximately 50 per cent of our current worldwide business is based on our Serenade fungicide,” said Mr Lamonega.
“It is registered for use in 21 countries including the US, New Zealand, Chile and Japan and is the only microbial fungicide to secure Annex One approval by the European Union. Serenade’s applications are mainly with high-value fruits and vegetables such as grapes, stonefruit, asparagus and tomatoes.”
Another AgraQuest fungicide – Sonata – provides effective control of certain types of mildew and rusts, while its Requiem insecticide targets all species of sucking pests.
The company has also recently begun collaborating with agribusiness giant Monsanto to evaluate AgraQuest’s biopesticides as seed treatments for Monsanto’s core crops and vegetables.
Over the three-year deal the two companies will focus on seed treatments to control nematodes, disease and insects, and enhancing growth and yield.
“We are excited to partner with a proven leader in agriculture like Monsanto,” said AgraQuest CEO Marcus Meadows-Smith. “We believe our research in the field of biopesticide alternatives for pest and stress management will complement Monsanto’s work in helping farmers protect the yield potential of their farms by offering them better pest-control and plant health options.”
Products developed as a result of the collaboration will run alongside Monsanto’s existing Acceleron seed treatment products.
Monsanto will have exclusive rights to any new products for seed treatment of its core crops and vegetables, while AgraQuest will hold all rights for foliar and soil applications and seed treatment of other crops.
