Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
April 28, 2008
Plant Health Care, Inc.
(PHC) has initiated a large scale field trial program for corn,
soybeans, and cotton to further evaluate the already established
benefits of using ProAct™ in combination with glyphosate when
applied over-the-top of glyphosate resistant crops. Five years
of independent testing have demonstrated significant yield
increases in cotton and corn when treated with a combination of
ProAct and glyphosate. ProAct is a foliar spray product for
reducing nematode populations and improving overall plant
health. ProAct, which is the only foliar spray product labeled
for use against nematodes in corn and soybeans, contains
Harpinαβ, a second generation harpin protein formulated as a
wettable dry granule.
PHC Director of Field Biology Ned French says, “ProAct increases
yields. The comprehensive data from multi-year ProAct research
shows average increases of 2.5 bushels/acre in soybeans, 7
bushels/acre in corn, and 68 pounds of cotton lint/acre. These
yield increases translate into economic returns of $28, $35, and
$50/acre, respectively. The ProAct + Glyphosate Program will
help both groups learn more about the benefits in real-world
farming conditions.”
Farmers who purchase and apply ProAct into cotton, corn, or
soybeans are already protected by PHC’s ProAct Satisfaction
Guarantee. If for any reason they are not satisfied with ProAct
performance on harvested acres, PHC will refund the full
purchase price. But through the ProAct + Glyphosate program, up
to 100 farmers will receive free of charge from PHC, enough
ProAct to treat a minimum of 40 acres of cropland. Participants
will apply the free ProAct in a tank-mix with their first
over-the-top glyphosate application. As a token of appreciation
for their participation, farmers who complete and return PHC’s
post-harvest Performance Satisfaction Survey will receive a $250
honorarium.
Participation is limited to 100 farmers who will be recruited
from a broad cross-section of the corn, soybean, and cotton
producing states. PHC has contracted Beck AG to manage the
program. All participants will be asked to join a series of
post-harvest teleconferences to discuss how the ProAct +
glyphosate tank-mix performed on their farms. PHC will use the
information gleaned from the teleconferences as the basis for
better understanding farmer needs and perceptions as they relate
to the use of ProAct + glyphosate.
PHC, started in 1995, was originally focused on horticulture,
turf, vegetables and high value crops. The company started
targeting field crops —corn, soybeans, and cotton — in 2007
based on its acquisition of harpin protein technology products
such as ProAct. ProAct contains the most recently developed and
effective generation of harpin proteins.
Plant Health Care, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, is
a wholly owned subsidiary of Plant Health Care plc (AIM:PHC), a
leading provider of natural products for plants and soil. PHC
has operations in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom,
Spain, and the Netherlands. PHC products are used in the
agriculture, landscape, horticulture and land reclamation
industries and are environmentally beneficial. Through the
commercialization of these products, PHC is capitalizing on
current long-term trends toward natural systems and biological
products for plant care and soil and water management.
ProAct™, PHC, and the Plant Health Care, Inc. logo are
trademarks of Plant Health Care, Inc. |
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