Marrone Bio Innovations' Grandevo® Awarded "Best New Biopesticide" by Agrow

DAVIS, Calif., Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. a leading global provider of biopesticides for agriculture and water applications, announced today that its groundbreaking Grandevo^® bioinsecticide has been recognized by Agrow as "Best New Biopesticide" for 2012. The prestigious Agrow Awards honor corporate and individual excellence in the crop protection and production industry.

"We are honored that Agrow recognized our commercialization of Grandevo as 'Best New Biopesticide' of the year," said Marrone Bio Innovations CEO Pam Marrone, who accepted the award at Agrow's ceremony in London. "As more growers recognize the value of biopesticides in pest management programs, we are proud to offer this breakthrough product that is paving the way for new, innovative uses of microbial insecticides in modern field and greenhouse pest management."

Grandevo, based on a new species of Chromobacterium isolated from under a hemlock tree by Dr. Phyllis Martin at USDA-ARS, is the first new broad-spectrum microbial insecticide to enter the market in nearly 50 years. The product's complex modes of action control pests through unique combinations of repellency, feeding disruption, reduced egg hatch, and a reduction in the ability of pests to reproduce. Grandevo is not limited by pre-defined spray windows, timing or resistance spray restrictions, which provides flexibility to incorporate it into an integrated pest management (IPM) program, or to use it as the broad-spectrum foundation product.

By improving resistance management, providing long-lasting control of a broad range of insects and mites, and featuring a flexible application window, Grandevo raises the bar for modern insecticides. Grandevo is approved for use on a variety of crops including citrus, leafy greens, tomatoes and peppers, potatoes, strawberries, grapes and almonds and can be used in field and greenhouse applications. Future use extensions include flies and soil applications for turf and root feeding insects.

The highly competitive Agrow Awards are given annually by London-based Agrow, a leading information provider for the global crop protection industry. Besides Best New Biopesticide, additional award categories include Best New Crop Protection, Most Innovative Chemistry, Best Formulation Innovation and Best Novel Agricultural Biotechnology, with entries coming from around the globe.

MBI has been an Agrow award winner for two out of the past three years. Regalia^®, the company's biofungicide, received the same distinction of Best New Biopesticide in 2010.

About Marrone Bio Innovations
Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. is a leading global provider of natural pest management products (biopesticides) for the agricultural and water treatment markets. Its effective and environmentally friendly natural agricultural products provide higher yields and quality while managing pest resistance and residues. Through its proprietary discovery and development platform and strategically in-licensed technologies, MBI has developed a pipeline of advanced and early-stage products for the significant agricultural and water treatment markets, including several nematicide, fungicide, algaecide and plant health product candidates. MBI's award-winning products for the agricultural market include the biofungicide Regalia^®, and Grandevo^®, a broad-spectrum bioinsecticide for controlling insects and mites. The company recently received EPA approval of a novel bioherbicide, and has submitted another broad- spectrum insecticide to the EPA. MBI is launching into the water treatment market with Zequanox^®, the industry's first natural product to selectively control invasive zebra and quagga mussels. MBI currently has more than three dozen patents pending in the U.S. and globally.

SOURCE Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc.