DAVIS, Calif., Sept. 11, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (MBI), (Nasdaq:MBII), a leading provider of bio-based pest management and plant health products for the agriculture, turf and ornamental and water treatment markets, today announced that it has received a patent for the use of Chromobacterium, a naturally occurring bacterium with demonstrated insecticidal and miticidal capabilities. The patent protects the uses of Chromobacterium formulations, compositions and compounds to control corn rootworm larvae infestation.
"This patent is an important first step in developing a commercially viable product to inhibit infestations of corn rootworm larvae across America and other regions where they continue to spread such as Latin America and Europe," said Pam Marrone, MBI's CEO. "Our research shows Chromobacterium to be effective at containing the larvae and we are developing product applications that offer growers an additional resource to combat this pest."
One of the most devastating pests in the United States is the corn rootworm, which does its damage as larvae feeding on the roots of young corn plants in farmers' fields. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that corn rootworms can cause $1 billion in lost revenue each year, which includes $800 million in yield loss and $200 million in cost of treatment for corn growers. There are reports from experts in the field that rootworms in some regions in the Midwest have developed resistance to biotechnology and chemical solutions.
Alison Stewart, Ph.D., Sr. VP R&D and Chief Technology Officer at Marrone Bio Innovations added, "This patent award demonstrates our world class R&D effort to find, protect and develop products that can work compatibly with traditional pesticides to protect plants in an effective, efficient, and environmentally responsible way."
A strain of Chromobacterium is the active ingredient in MBI's Grandevo® Bioinsecticide, currently selling to growers of fruit, vegetable, vine and nut crops to control a wide range of chewing and sucking insects and mites. Grandevo strengthens growers' integrated pest and resistance management programs, with no adverse effects on honeybees and other non-target organisms.
About Marrone Bio Innovations
Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (Nasdaq:MBII) is a leading provider of bio-based pest management and plant health products for the agriculture, turf and ornamental and water treatment markets. Our effective and environmentally responsible solutions help customers operate more sustainably while controlling pests, improving plant health, and increasing crop yields. We have a proprietary discovery process, a rapid development platform, and a robust pipeline of pest management and plant health product candidates. At Marrone Bio Innovations we are dedicated to pioneering better biopesticides that support a better tomorrow for users around the globe. For more information, please visit www.marronebio.com.
The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, hopes, goals, intentions, initiatives or strategies, including statements relating to market size and the results from the field trials. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including the difficulty in predicting the outcome of product research and development efforts and regulatory approvals. Additional relevant information concerning risks can be found in the in the Form 10-K that the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 25, 2014.