Israel’s STK Bio-Ag Technologies has partnered with U.S. distributor Summit Agro USA to bring its bio-based crop protection products to the market, including Timorex Gold and now Regev – what STK calls the first-ever hybrid foliar fungicide.
Already registered in 15 countries, Regev gained EPA approval this year and began shipping in the U.S. over the summer. In September, it inked a deal with Ascenza for exclusive distribution rights to the product in Mexico.
Regev contains 200 g/L of the systemic triazole fungicide difenoconazole plus 400 g/L of tea tree oil, delivered in a unique prepacked formulation which provides various mechanisms of action against broad-spectrum of plant pathogens and improved efficacy. A testament to the product’s flexibility, it is labelled on row crops down to specialty fruits and vegetables and fights a wide range of diseases, from soybean rot to early blight in potatoes.
“The hybrid solution can be the ‘bridge’ between conventional agrochemical farming and sustainable farming,” said Professor Moshe Reuveni, Chief Scientist with STK. He noted that the different modes of action of tea tree oil and difenoconazole make Regev an effective tool for resistance management and suitable for Integrated Pest Management programs. “This combination results in a reduced synthetic chemical load on the environment compared to other mixtures based on two traditional chemicals.”
As the pandemic continues, the role of biologicals in pest control and crop health is expected to only accelerate as users seek out alternative solutions that are sourced closer to home and in many cases are seen as less risky, for reasons both practical and political.
“The COVID-19 pandemic might have a short-term impact on market growth but is likely to boost investment in biologicals as part of a wider shift to interest in food security and sustainable crop production and ensuring more robust supply chains. This should in turn drive interest in new product formulations for biopesticides and biostimulants,” wrote Dr. Alan Bullion in a report for UK-based market research firm IHS Markit.
CropLife spoke with Shay Shaanan, STK’s Vice President, R&D and Business Development about the launch and the company’s evolving approach to the ever-climbing bio market.
“We’re using synthetic molecules which are very well-known; in this case we used difenoconazole which we believe will stay in the market. When we are designing a hybrid, we’re trying to pick a synthetic that is as safe as possible ,” Shaanan said.
The company, which manufactures all its products, including flagship Timorex Gold biofungicide in Israel, maintained stable supply throughout the pandemic. The bigger threat, according to Shaanan, came from the Australian bushfires that raged last year through early 2020, taking out tea tree plantations. However, no disruption in supply has been seen.
“Bio is growing for various reasons. Supply chain-related consequences of the pandemic is another factor which works for us,” he explained. “We don’t feel it yet, but it is certainly something that we believe farmers, suppliers, and the food chain all will ask: to be more sustainable and more and more biological.”
Shaanan noted that STK is set to launch another plant extract-based insecticide product in 2021. It intends to develop both hybrid and bio-only formulations of the product in line with its strategy to maximize the costly, time-intensive efforts of bringing active ingredients to market.
“We are very excited about Regev,” Shananan said, adding, “Lucky for us working and able to contribute to the food industry, agriculture and support growers in their work, we can say that we are doing well. It’s good to be part of the agriculture business these days.”
