Davis, California
March 28,  2001

AgraQuest Inc., the Davis, Calif., developer and manufacturer of natural pest management products, has entered the organic farming industry after a new formulation of the grower-proven
biofungicide Serenade(R) was registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and added to the list of approved crop protection products by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). 

The Eugene, Oregon-based OMRI added Serenade to its list of materials allowed for use in production, processing and handling of organic food and fiber after the new formulation received its federal registration. The California Environmental Protection Agency's Department of Pesticide Registration and the Washington State Department of Agriculture's Organic Food Program also have approved the new formulation. 

Serenade is based on AgraQuest's patented strain of Bacillus subtilis, a microorganism that is effective against several crop damaging pathogens, including powdery mildew, walnut blight, Botrytis bunch rot and fire blight. 

The original wettable powder and the newly registered organic formulation of Serenade are approved for use on vines, fruits, hops, peanuts, vegetables and walnuts. Three new crops -- carrots, broccoli and onions -- have been added to the U.S. EPA label for the organic formulation. 

Other than copper and sulfur, Serenade is the only fungicide with a broad spectrum of disease control approved for organic use in the United States. 

"Developing Serenade for organic production cements our commitment to provide both conventional and organic customers effective, new solutions for disease pest management," said AgraQuest president and CEO Pamela Marrone, Ph.D. "Until now, organic growers had very few choices for plant disease control. With Serenade organic, growers now have the means for better disease control and improved crop yields previously only available to conventional growers." 

Kevin Chambers, president of Results Partners LLC, a McMinville, Oregon, farm management company, said the organic formulation helps fill a void in an organic wine vineyard grower's arsenal for fighting fungal infections. "Beyond copper and sulfur there are few broad spectrum control choices for fighting fungal infections," Chambers said. "So there's absolutely no question that Serenade organic is an important new tool for organic growers." 

Used on grapevines, Serenade is the one product that effectively controls all major diseases including powdery mildew, Botrytis bunch rot, and sour rot in addition to suppressing downy mildew. The biofungicide is also registered for use on hops, peanuts, cucurbits, leafy vegetables, cherries and walnuts. It is effective against a number of crop-devastating pathogens, including other powdery mildews, Sclerotinia and walnut blight. Uses on apples and pears will be added to the label shortly. 

Serenade works by preventing diseases caused by plant pathogens. It can stop plant pathogen spores from germinating, disrupt germ tube and mycelial growth and inhibit attachment of the plant pathogen to the leaf by producing a zone of inhibition restricting the growth of these disease causing pathogens. The patented strain of Bacillus subtilis contained in Serenade has also been shown to colonize pathogens, thus causing inhibition of the pathogen's germinating spore. 

Davis, Calif.-based AgraQuest Inc. is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of natural pest management solutions for farm, home and public use. Through its systematic and proprietary screening process, AgraQuest evaluates and develops naturally occurring microbes into commercial biopesticides. The Company believes that its products are environmentally safe and deliver the performance, reliability and ease of use expected by the agricultural and home gardening industries. The Company is backed by large agricultural growers, agri-businesses, domestic and international venture capital firms. AgraQuest has established collaborative partnerships with Rohm and Haas Co., FMC Agroquimica de Mexico, and Maxygen. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.agraquest.com. 

Company news release
N3413