November 21, 2013
Lallemand Inc. is a privately-held Canadian company specializing in yeast, bacterial and yeast derivative products for a wide range of applications, including Baking, Oenology, Animal Nutrition and Bio-Ingredients. For the past 5 years, Lallemand has operated a Plant Care business based on a portfolio of biocontrol, biostimulant and biofertilizer products for the agricultural, horticultural and forestry markets, developed by its Finnish and French subsidiaries Verdera Oy and Lallemand Plant Care SAS.
Lallemand has entered into a license agreement with the Canadian company Mycologic Inc., who have developed a fungal product for biological vegetation management. Vegetation managers around the world need to control the growth of deciduous trees in rights-of-way, during forestry management, and in urban environments. When these trees are cut, they will re-sprout producing multiple stems. The resulting increase in stem density contributes to greater costs for the management of hardwood species in all industrial sectors. Bioherbicides are an important link between the need to control weed species and the desire to limit chemical use in our environment.
The species Chondrostereum purpureum is a naturally occurring fungus found in temperate forests around the world. As the active ingredient in this bioherbicide product, it suppresses the re-sprouting of hardwood stumps and provides an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical herbicides, such as glyphosate.
The license agreement gives Lallemand access to the Canadian strain PFC 2139 of Chondrostereum purpureum, the active ingredient of the bioherbicide products Chontrol Paste and Chontrol Peat Paste, which are registered as pest control products in the US and Canada. It covers all IP rights related to the strain, its manufacturing and use.
Jean Chagnon, President & CEO of Lallemand Inc., comments: “This agreement enables Lallemand to expand its North American Plant Care business in the forestry sector”.
Based on the license agreement, Lallemand and Mycologic will further develop this bioherbicide product in both Canada and the United States, and expand the market by adding more deciduous tree species and new application methods to the approved uses of the registered products. This collaboration will also facilitate the on-going development and registration of a similar Chondrostereum product for the European market.
Lallemand is currently providing Canadian greenhouse growers with the registered biofungicides Mycostop and Prestop for the control of soil-borne and foliar fungal diseases. The fungal product Rotstop C for biological control of Heterobasidion root disease in red pine plantations is eligible for full PMRA registration in early 2014 and will then be available to Canadian forest managers.
In addition to biopesticides, Lallemand Plant Care provides a range of biofertilizers based on yeasts and bacteria (Rhizocell, Bioreveil, Folwin, Appetyl) and mycorrhizal fungi (MYC brand), as well as a biostimulant based on glycine betaine extracted from sugar beet (Greenstim/Bluestim).
Mycologic is actively developing new biotechnological solutions for biocontrol, bioremediation and aquaculture. “Our collaboration with Lallemand to fully commercialize the bioherbicide technology opens up possibilities for future cooperation in other areas”, says Dr. Paul de la Bastide, President & CEO of Mycologic Inc.
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