Marrone Bio Announces Approval of Stargus® Biofungicide in California

Novel biofungicide effective on specialty crops for yield-robbing diseases

DAVIS, Calif., Jan. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. MBII (MBI), an international leader in sustainable bioprotection and plant health solutions, today announced that its novel, patented Bacillus biofungicide, Stargus^®, has been fully reviewed by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) and approved for immediate use by growers in California on several crops, including grapes, leafy greens, brassicas, strawberries, cucurbits and fruiting vegetables.

The approval of Stargus in California marks an important milestone in providing innovative solutions for growers across the United States. Stargus has already been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is registered for use in all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada. Marrone Bio is currently in the process of registering the product in several other countries internationally as well.

Stargus is currently being sold by MBI's channel distributors in the United States. Recent studies conducted by distribution partners in California showed that Stargus outperformed direct competitors, paving the way for a rapid adoption by Californian growers looking for higher performance.  The active ingredient in Stargus has multiple modes of action including boosting the innate ability of the plant to defend itself and the direct anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effects of the natural compounds produced in fermentation by the bacteria. Additionally, Stargus is exempt from maximum residue limits (MRLs) and has a zero-day pre-harvest interval – giving growers flexibility into how they schedule labor and applications, while providing protection to crops right up to the day of harvest.

"Trials conducted in the U.S., and specifically in California, have proven Stargus increases crop yields and quality by controlling a variety of plant diseases, including downy mildew, white molds, and Botrytis gray mold'' said Kevin Hammill, Chief Commercial Officer of Marrone Bio Innovations.  ‘‘Stargus used alone outperformed the biological standards and is competitive with the current growers' crop protection chemical standards. In a BioUnite program, Stargus is consistently a top performer when incorporated into program with the current chemical standards.''

‘‘Stargus is another example of how we leverage our existing library of 18,000-plus micro-organisms and 350 plant extracts, addressing the $16.3 billion global fungicide market¹,'' added Dr. Pam Marrone, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Marrone Bio Innovations. ‘‘Our teams specifically screened for a product that would bring new modes of action to the Bacillus product market and be highly effective on an array of diseases such as downy mildew and white mold.'' 

1: Phillips McDougall

About Marrone Bio Innovations    
Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. MBII is a growth-oriented company leading the movement to more a sustainable world through the discovery, development and sale of innovative biological products for crop protection, plant health and waterway systems treatment that help customers operate more sustainably while increasing their return on investment. MBI has screened over 18,000 microorganisms and 350 plant extracts, leveraging its in-depth knowledge of plant and soil microbiomes enhanced by advanced molecular technologies and natural product chemistry to rapidly develop seven product lines. Supported by a robust portfolio of over 400 issued and pending patents, MBI's currently available commercial products are Regalia^®, Stargus^®, Grandevo^®, Venerate^®, Majestene^®, Haven^® and Amplitude^®, Zelto^® Jet Oxide^® and Jet Ag^® and Zequanox^®, with a breakthrough bioherbicide and biofumigant in the Company's product pipeline. MBI's Pro Farm Finland-based subsidiary employs a proprietary technology derived from wood waste to stimulate plant growth and improve plant health, resulting in improved yields and crop quality. Products include UBP-110®, LumiBio™, LumiBio Valta™, LumiBio Kelta™, Foramin®.

Learn more about Marrone Bio Innovations at www.marronebio.com. We also use our investor relations website, https://investors.marronebio.com, as well as our corporate Twitter account, @Marronebio, as means of disclosing material non-public information, and encourage our investors and others to monitor and review the information we make public in these locations. Follow us on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Marrone Bio Innovations Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding strategy, future operations and plans, including assumptions underlying such statements, are forward-looking statements, and should not be relied upon as representing MBI's views as of any subsequent date.  Such forward-looking statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date of this release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some beyond the Company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements, including the potential of Stargus, the potential of new revenue generating activities, weather, regulatory and other factors affecting demand for the MBI's products, any difficulty in marketing MBI's products in its target markets, competition in the market for pest management products, lack of understanding of bio-based pest management products by customers and growers. Additional information that could lead to material changes in MBI's performance is contained in its filings with the SEC. MBI is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to, update or alter forward-looking statements contained in this release, whether as a result of current information, future events or otherwise.

Marrone Bio Innovations Contact:
Kevin Hammill, Chief Commercial Officer
info@marronebio.com
1-530-750-2800

Investor Relations Contact:
Greg Falesnik, Managing Director
MZ Group – MZ North America
Main:  949-385-6449
MBII@mzgroup.us 
www.mzgroup.us