BioConsortia’s new biofungicide/bactericide, Amara, has received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
With potential applications in high-value fruit and vegetable production, the product is designed to protect crops from foliar diseases with a biological mode of action that offers an alternative to chemical fungicides and with a greater consistency in efficacy than current biological products on the market.
This consistency is achieved by Amara’s high concentration of environmentally stable active ingredient. The beneficial bacteria in Amara produce antimicrobial components that directly degrade fungal pathogen cells and promote systemic resistance within the plant, resulting in contact control and suppression of disease organisms that reduce yield.
"The EPA approval of Amara biofungicide marks a major step for BioConsortia in the use of the company’s natural biologicals to help plants fight disease," said BioConsortia CEO Marcus Meadows-Smith. "The patented strain in Amara fungicide was discovered using our powerful biologicals discovery platform, AMS [Advanced Microbial Selection], that has been leveraged to develop a diverse pipeline of multiple leads to be commercialized through partners as products that combat disease, insects and nematodes, as well as for biostimulants and biofertilizers."
Amara biofungicide will be marketed and sold in the U.S. by Nichino America. Product launch plans are currently under development, and Nichino expects for product to available for the 2025 use season.
"It is exciting to add a biological product to the Nichino portfolio and to bring this new technology to customers," said Leigh Ann Harrison, product manager for Amara. "Amara will provide conventional and organic growers an effective solution for control of diseases on important crops, providing a quality yield while managing residues on the final commodity."
For more information, contact info@bioconsortia.com.
Latest from Produce Grower
- Don’t overlook the label
- Hurricane Helene: Florida agricultural production losses top $40M, UF economists estimate
- Little Leaf Farms introduces Sweet & Crispy Blend
- IFPA’s Foundation for Fresh Produce to launch Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab with USDA grant
- No shelter!
- Sensaphone releases weatherproof enclosures for WSG30 remote monitoring system, wireless sensors
- Indoor Ag-Con, Sollum Technologies launch scholarship program for college students
- Anu awarded $175K USDA SBIR grant to advance Pure Produce Container technology