March 09, 2021 05:17 PM Eastern Standard Time
DAVIS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Botanical Solution Inc. (BSI) and Syngenta, two companies which are closely aligned in their commitment to innovation and sustainability in agriculture, announce that they have reached an agreement to commercialize BSI’s first product in Peru and Mexico. The two companies have already commercialized successfully the product in Chile under the trade name Botristop®.
“BotriStop is a sustainable product, in line with Syngenta’s philosophy, and perfectly complements our portfolio in order to meet the needs of producers.”
This biofungicide has been field-tested for several years and proven to be highly efficacious and consistent in the prevention and control of Botrytis cinerea, especially for conventional growers of blueberries, vines and vegetables.
This innovative product is based on the extract of Quillaja saponariaMolina, a plant native to Chile. This biofungicide’s unique modes of action provide growers with an effective tool for resistance management and allow worldwide exports of top-quality fresh produce, while meeting the world´s strictest MRL guidelines.
According to BSI CEO Gaston Salinas, “BSI has innovated and patented a unique method of growing and extracting the key ingredient when the tree is grown in vitro. This means we do not have to cut down an acre of trees to protect an acre of grapes. We grow and extract from baby trees, which we grow in our laboratory facilities, and produce as much as is needed without cutting down a single tree. What’s more, our product leaves no chemical residue whatsoever. That’s real sustainability.”
In 2019, Syngenta launched BotriStop in Chile. In 2020 new uses were approved in the country, such as sour rot. It is estimated that currently over 25,000 hectares are protected by the product in Chile.
Meanwhile, both Companies have recently agreed to further plans for distribution throughout Peru and Mexico.
Juan Melendez, Syngenta Fungicides Portfolio Manager for Latin America North, states that “This agreement is the perfect blend of innovation and performance to meet fresh food production needs in Peru and Mexico and hopefully in many other countries in the future.”
Syngenta remains committed in its “Good Growth Plan” since 2013, with the goal of “improving farmers’ productivity and profit throughout the world with fewer resources, while protecting nature and improving life for people in rural communities.” For the years 2020–25, Syngenta’s “Good Growth Plan” calls for a $2 billion investment in sustainable agricultural breakthroughs, two new sustainable technology breakthroughs a year, and to strive for the lowest residues in crops and the environment.
According to Syngenta’s Federico Gonzalez, Marketing Head Chile, “BotriStop is a sustainable product, in line with Syngenta’s philosophy, and perfectly complements our portfolio in order to meet the needs of producers.”
Diego Ibanez, BSI’s Territory Manager, declared, “Today, much of our operation is in Chile, but soon we’ll be working with Syngenta in Peru, Mexico and other markets as we move forward with our first biofungicide and launch new products from BSI’s innovative pipeline of botanical-based extracts for sustainable agriculture.”
About BSI
BSI is a venture-backed corporation based in Davis, California. The Company has developed a proprietary R&D platform for sustainable and improved production of Advanced Botanical Materials (ABM) that addresses critical and well-known issues related to current production of key traditional botanical raw materials, often obtained under exploitation of natural resources. These issues include the limited supply of materials, geo-political dependence and a sizeable environmental footprint. Additionally, active ingredients derived from traditional botanical raw materials inherit problems of variable consistency, limited production and increasing cost. Botanical Solution’s R&D Platform relies on scalable plant tissue culture techniques that allow scalable and sustainable supply of key botanical materials, geo-political freedom and no environmental footprint. Derived active ingredients have a high consistency and can be manufactured on demand in a cost-effective manner by BSI. Visit us at www.botanical-solution.com.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter® at www.twitter.com/Syngenta.
Contacts
Jon Amdursky
jamdursky@aol.com