Global Adoption of Biologicals Accelerates as Marrone Bio’s Grandevo® WDG Bioinsecticide is Approved for Use in New Zealand, Chile and on Hemp in the U.S.

DAVIS, Calif., Jan. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marrone Bio Innovations (NASDAQ: MBII) (MBI), a global provider of bio-based crop protection and plant health products, today announced that it recently received approval for Grandevo WDG Bioinsecticide for use in New Zealand and Chile. Grandevo WDG and Grandevo CG have also been approved for use on hemp by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“Growers are aggressively seeking alternative crop protection solutions that will serve as safe and effective controls for increasingly problematic pests,” said Kevin Hammill, Chief Commercial Officer of Marrone Bio Innovations. “After several years of extensive field trials in the U.S., we have witnessed the strong performance of how Grandevo WDG Bioinsecticide works on specialty crops. Now growers around the world will be able to experience the performance of Grandevo – from the high-value vineyards of New Zealand’s Marlborough region to Chile’s famous Colchagua Valley.”

In New Zealand, Grandevo WDG will be sold by Nufarm as BioGro^® and is approved for controlling mealybug on New Zealand’s famous wine grape crop. BioGro is registered and approved by Sustainable Winegrowing NZ™ (SWNZ), a world-leading sustainability program for growing wine grapes, and is allowed for use on both organic and conventional grape-growing systems from pre-flowering to bunch closure. Additional crops and pests are expected for approval in the coming year.

Grandevo WDG was approved for use in blueberries, grapes, stone fruit, tomatoes, avocados, and onions by the Ministry of Agriculture in Chile (Servicio Agricola y Ganadero - SAG) in November 2020 and is distributed by Anasac, a leading Chilean agriculture inputs provider. Grandevo WDG was among one of the first products of its kind to be approved under SAG’s new regulatory guidance (No. 9074/2018) for biological pesticides, as published in December 2018. Chile is a major exporter of fresh blueberries and grapes and accounts for 60% of all fruit exports within South America.

In the U.S., Grandevo WDG and Grandevo CG were recently approved by the EPA for use on hemp, a high-value crop that has seen rapid growth since its authorization for cultivation in the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill. The approval of the bioinsecticide will provide growers with some much-needed help in the management of problematic pests such as thrips and mites and comes at a time when, due to the highly regulated environment of hemp growing and processing, limited crop protection products have been available. Growers are encouraged to check with their state pesticide regulatory agency or MBI for registration status and can expect state approval in time for the planting of the 2021 hemp crop.

Grandevo WDG is a microbial-based insecticide that contains several active compounds to repel, stop feeding, reduce reproduction, and induce mortality of damaging populations of sucking and chewing insects, flies and mites. Grandevo is ideal for integrated pest management (IPM) programs as it is soft on a wide range of beneficial insects including honeybees. The bioinsecticide is also Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) Exempt, requires minimal Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), has a 4-hour Re-Entry Interval (REI) and is approved for both organic and conventional production.

To learn more about Grandevo WDG Bioinsecticide, visit .

About Marrone Bio Innovations

Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. (NASDAQ: MBII) is a growth-oriented company leading the movement to a more sustainable world through the discovery, development and sale of innovative biological products for crop protection and plant health that help customers operate more sustainably while increasing their return on investment. MBI has screened over 18,000 microorganisms, leveraging its in-depth knowledge of plant and soil microbiomes enhanced by advanced molecular technologies and natural product chemistry to rapidly develop seven product lines. Supported by a robust portfolio of over 500 issued and pending patents, MBI’s currently available commercial products are Regalia^®, Stargus^®, Grandevo^®, Venerate^®, Majestene^®, Haven^®, Pacesetter^®, Zelto^® Jet-Oxide^® and Jet-Ag^® , with a next-generation insecticide-nematicide, a breakthrough bioherbicide and a biofumigant in the Company’s product pipeline. MBI’s Pro Farm Finland-based subsidiary employs a proprietary technology derived from wood waste to stimulate plant growth and improve plant health, resulting in improved yields and crop quality. Products include UBP™ 110, Foramin^®, UBP™ Seed Treatment, Foramin^® ST.

Learn more about Marrone Bio Innovations at . We also use our investor relations website, , 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: ,  and .

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, the sales potential in South America, weather, the novel coronavirus COVID-19, 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:

Kevin Hammill, Chief Commercial Officer



1-530-750-2800

Investor Relations Contact:

Lucas A. Zimmerman

Senior Vice President

MZ Group – MZ North America

Main: 949-259-4987