Vive Crop Protection has received EPA approval for AZterknot, a fungicide built with biological, chemical and nano technology.
Darren Anderson, CEO of Vive Crop Protection, says this launch is a “huge milestone” for the company.
“Biologicals have been an area growers have been exploring, but a challenge has been the inconsistency in performance,” Anderson says. “What we’ve done with AZterknot is deliver technology to optimize the performance of the biological and deliver the consistency of a conventional chemical. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Anderson explains the company’s Allosperse proprietary nano-polymer technology optimizes the performance of the product from its storage, through application and into the soil and plant uptake.
“Allosperse wraps the active ingredients in the polymer shuttle which helps make it more stable in the tank, have better availability in the soil, improved stickiness to the seed, and improved coverage on the leaf surface,” Anderson says. “Virtually no other technology has the flexibility of our technology.”
With the three-fold approach as a fungicide, Anderson says the product provides farmers with the confidence of a chemistry and the opportunities of a biological.
“Because it has the traditional chemistry, there’s an upside because of that certainty. Farmers can test the product on their operation and make sure it creates the ROI they expect and need,” Anderson says.
And for retailers, he notes this could be an entry point for retailers to try out biologicals.
With active ingredients Azoxystrobin and Reynoutria sachalinensis extract, AZterknot has a broad label from the EPA to include row crops such as: corn, soybeans, potatoes, sugar beets and more. The company says its use rate is designed to be similar to conventional products.
Anderson says nano technology will enable faster innovation--and instead of taking 10 years to create a new active ingredient, but rather with nano have a new product in two to three years.
“We’re building something really unique. If you look at innovation on the crop protection side, we are taking a different approach using existing biology and giving it to farmers in a brand new way,” he says.
And while segments of crop protection are experience supply chain challenges in 2021, Anderson sees opportunities for Vive.
“We are fortunate in that we had key inputs on shore before the challenges set in. We don’t have supply constraints at this point and are in a good position to serve growers. Also, this gives growers a chance to try our products because they are available. For a small company, it can be hard to get mindshare from a grower—so it’s been a foot in the door,” he says.
With more than 1 million applied acres in 2020, Anderson and his team have their goals set on growth.
“We’re excited about the future of this segment. What motivates our company is putting more tools in the grower toolbox and provide innovation to growers faster than our competitors. I see this launch as one step into opening the opportunities with biologicals,” he says.
