Plant Health Care plc (LON: PHC), a leading provider of novel patent-protected biological products to global agriculture markets, announced today the registration of Employ, containing the active ingredient Harpin ab, for use on Almonds, Grapes and Walnuts in California.
Highlights:
- Plant Health Care has received regulatory approval for sales of Employ (Harpin ab) in California
- Field trials over two years showed substantial yield increases in almonds and grapes
- Sales will start for the 2020 growing season through our exclusive distribution partner Wilbur-Ellis, announced on June 25th, 2019
Plant Health Care has received approval from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation for the immediate use of Employ on Almonds, Grapes and Walnuts for the suppression of nematodes. The approval marks an important milestone in the expansion of Employ into key specialty crops representing more than 2.5 million acres in California.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates nematodes cause $600 million annually in crop losses. In almonds, Employ trials conducted over the past two years (2018-2019) in California reduced root knot nematode damage by 64% and significantly improved yield by 11% compared to the grower standard treatment. Employ applied to newly planted Chardonnay grapes reduced root knot nematode damage by 25% and increased grape bunch weight by 29% compared to the grower standard treatment.
Chris Richards, CEO of Plant Health Care said, “This is a significant milestone for the company to receive regulatory approval from CDPR for the use of Employ, after extensive field trials to prove the effectiveness of the product. We are now planning to launch Employ into these important crops over the coming weeks with Wilbur-Ellis.”
