BIOSt® Nematicide Seed Treatment Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Soybeans and Corn by 85%+ Compared to Conventional Pesticides

Rhea-AI Summary

Marrone Bio Innovations (NASDAQ: MBII) announced that its BIO_St Nematicide seed treatment received an exceptional climate impact score of 9.8 out of 10, according to a recent study by Boundless Impact Research & Analytics. The product significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, achieving an 85% reduction in soybeans and 87% in corn compared to conventional pesticides. With widespread adoption among 17,000 growers on over 11 million acres, the use of BIO_St could equate to reducing CO₂ emissions comparable to removing nearly 10,000 cars from the road.

Positive

• Achieved a climate impact score of 9.8 out of 10 for BIO_St Nematicide.
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 85% in soybeans and 87% in corn compared to conventional pesticides.
• Estimated to be used by 17,000 growers on over 11 million acres of crops in the U.S.
• Potential reduction of over 43,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions if used on projected soybean plantings.
• Supports the trend of increasing adoption of biological products in agriculture.

Negative

• None.

Product Receives Outstanding Climate Impact Score in Independent Study

DAVIS, Calif., May 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBII) (MBI), an international leader in sustainable agricultural biological solutions, announced today that BIO_St Nematicide seed treatment product, achieved an outstanding climate impact score of 9.8 out of 10.

The Climate Impact Study showed that BIO_St Nematicide reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 85 percent in soybeans and 87 percent in corn compared with conventional pesticides. The independent study, conducted by Boundless Impact Research & Analytics, assessed GHG emissions, human and environmental safety, and product performance against similar conventional and biological pesticides used in seed treatment.

BIO_St Nematicide, a novel, broad spectrum biological seed treatment, was launched in 2016 to protect crops against certain plant parasitic nematodes and soil-dwelling insect pests. It is approved for conventional and organic use and is safe for human use, pollinators (such as bees), and aquatic life. Today, BIO_St Nematicide is used by an estimated 17,000 growers on more than 11 million acres of row crops in the U.S.

Conservative estimates show that for every million acres of soybeans and corn seed treated with BIO_St Nematicide, more than one million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are reduced respectively. This is equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered in one year by nearly 600 acres of U.S. forestland.¹ If BIO_St Nematicide was used on the entire projected 87.6 million U.S. soybean plantings for 2021, the CO₂ emission reduction would potentially equal more than 43,000 metric tons, comparable to removing nearly 10,000 passenger cars from the road.

“This study provides further evidence as to the contributions our products can make toward protecting the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing a safe habitat for pollinators,” said Kevin Helash, chief executive officer of MBI. “Biological products now account for roughly one-third of all active ingredients used in agriculture. Their increasing adoption has been a testament to their efficacy, safety and sustainability, and Marrone Bio has been a leader in this growth.”

Helash added, “Sustainability is at the core of our products and people. This new data underscores the beneficial experience our distribution partners and grower customers have had with BIO_St Nematicide in row crops such as soybeans, corn, and cotton. As one of our flagship products, BIO_St Nematicide provides a unique solution that delivers effective crop protection and provides growers with another tool to address the challenges of climate change.”

These findings support the results of a 2019-2020 GHG life-cycle assessment conducted by the University of California Davis Graduate School of Management. This study concluded that the use of MBI’s bioprotectants would likely reduce GHG emissions by 69 to 91 percent when compared with conventional pesticides. “We strive to continually assess the environmental impacts of our products in a fair and factual manner, and both of these studies support that goal,” said Keith Pitts, chief sustainability officer and senior vice president of regulatory and government affairs for Marrone Bio.

Michele Demers, founder and CEO of Boundless Impact Research & Analytics, said: “Our climate impact assessment of biopesticides provides a science-based and independent critique and comparison of the environmental impact of these breakthrough technologies. BIO_St Nematicide offers a significant environmental improvement over other conventional pesticides and provides a compelling alternative.”

BIO_St Nematicide is available throughout the U.S. through Marrone Bio’s distribution partner, Albaugh LLC, who is the trademark’s registered owner.

1. Research Methodology Overview
   

Boundless researched the material, energy and performance characteristics for BIO_St Nematicide based on detailed information provided by MBI that describes the material components and energy inputs. At the core of the methodology is a life-cycle assessment (LCA) model for a kilogram of BIO_St Nematicide. The functional unit (FU) for this LCA was a million seeds treated with nematicide. Boundless employed the IPCC 2013 methodology.

About Marrone Bio Innovations
Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. (NASDAQ: MBII) is a growth-oriented agricultural company leading the movement to environmentally sustainable farming practices through the discovery, development and sale of innovative biological products for crop protection, crop health and crop nutrition. Our portfolio of more than 15 products helps customers operate more sustainably while increasing their return on investment. The company’s commercial products are sold globally and supported by a robust portfolio of more than 500 issued and pending patents.  Our end markets include row crops; fruits and vegetables; trees, nuts and vines; and greenhouse production. The Company’s research and development program uses proprietary technologies to isolate and screen naturally occurring microorganisms and plant extracts to create new, environmentally sound solutions in agriculture. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at marronebio.com. 

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, 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:
Clyde Montevirgen
Vice President of Business Development & Investor Relations
Telephone: 530-750-2800
info@marronebio.com

Investor Relations:
Lucas A. Zimmerman
Senior Vice President
MZ Group – MZ North America
Main: 949-259-4987
MBII@mzgroup.us

FAQ

What is the climate impact score of BIO_S_t Nematicide?

The climate impact score of BIO_St Nematicide is 9.8 out of 10.

How much greenhouse gas emissions does BIO_S_t Nematicide reduce?

BIO_St Nematicide reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 85% in soybeans and 87% in corn compared to conventional pesticides.

How many growers use BIO_S_t Nematicide?

Approximately 17,000 growers use BIO_St Nematicide across over 11 million acres of row crops in the U.S.

What would be the CO₂ emission reduction if BIO_S_t Nematicide is used on all U.S. soybean plantings?

If used on all projected 87.6 million U.S. soybean plantings for 2021, the reduction could equal over 43,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions.