April 2021 - 28

BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS TECHNOLOGY
Hybrid use puts Regev in 'game-changer' mode
By Gary Pullano
Editor
A hybrid fungicide approved in 2020
by the EPA for use in the United States
had previously been used successfully in
14 countries.
When Israel-based STK Bio-ag
Technologies rolled out the product in
America with the help of its distribution
partner, Summit Agro USA, Regev
" hybrid " fungicide was hailed as a
" significant game-changer, " by Julia Levy,
STK Bio-ag Technologies' director of
business development.
" STK has been successful in U.S.
markets for several years with its
botanical-based biofungicide Timorex
Gold, " Levy said in an interview with
Fruit Growers News. " Now comes Regev,
which is a 'bridge' for many growers
who have never tried a product with
biological content. That's because Regev
is a 'pre-mix,' so it is easy for the grower
to use in exactly the same way as his
current chemical fungicide. Nevertheless,
with Regev, the grower gets the added
benefits of reduced chemical inputs,
lower chemical residues of his fruit
and vegetables, a dual mode of action
providing outstanding management
resistance and much higher yields. "
" We're very enthusiastic about
introducing Regev to the U.S., " Levy said.
" We've been doing field trials there for
more than three years now. The results
are excellent. Growers there are really
enthusiastic about the product, as are we
to work with them. "
Regev, touted as the first potent
hybrid fungicide in the market, has
a unique activity that presents a low
probability for the development of
resistance or cross-resistance in plant
pathogens, its developers found.
The hybrid formulation contains
200 g/lit difenoconazole + 400 g/litL
tea tree extract. Trials have shown this
formulation provides various plant defense
mechanisms of action including systematic
acquired resistance and induced systematic
resistance for improved efficacy in plant
disease control and the cultivation of
successful crop yields.
Outreach to growers
" The three main markets in agricultural
pesticides are the EU, the USA and Brazil, "
Yair Nativ, vice president of sales at STK
Bio-ag Technologies, told FGN. " Getting
Regev registered in the U.S. is a huge step
for us. Brazil will follow in, I believe, in two
to three years. And then it's Europe's turn.
It will take a long time to register in the EU
due to all the regulations. "
Regev has already been registered in
Israel, Serbia, the Philippines and various
Latin American countries, and is in the
registration process in Brazil, the U.S and
the EU.
" We've been working on Regev for the
last eight years, " Nativ said. " The question
now is how to pass this experience
to growers as quickly as possible. We
consider this product to be the bridge to
the biopesticide future. "
The vast majority of growers, including
those in the fruit and vegetable sector,
have never used or even tried biological
products, Nativ said. " Regev is a much
easier product to use, understand and see
its benefits. "
Regev is a premix, hybrid product.
Growers can use it exactly the same way
they're using their current chemical
fungicide, Nativ said. " But, now they
have the benefits of lower residue on
their products, improved resistance
management and higher yields. All that
makes the growers more competitive. "
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facing STK Bio-ag Technologies in
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Nativ said the second advantage is
allowing the growers to access a dual mode
of action with a very low probability for the
development of resistance. He said using
only one active ingredient could lead to the
build-up of resistance. " So, we are allowing
the farmers to use two modes of action. "
This product can, however, not be
used for organic groups. But, it can
contribute to growing more sustainable,
conventional products.
" We believe that in order to create
sustainable agriculture, you need to lower
the rate of application of chemicals, " Nativ
said. " And bio-solutions is one of the best
ways to do so and remain sustainable. "
" That makes growers more willing
to learn more about it, " Levy said. " Its
biological component provides improved
America is getting Regev registered
in California. Nativ expects that will
happen within a year. " California's a huge
agricultural state within the U.S. So, that's
essential. We also need to introduce the
product to as many growers as possible, in
the shortest time possible. "
Regev has two main advantages, Nativ
said. " Firstly, the product contains two
active ingredients. One is chemical, the
other natural. That means there's only one
MRL (maximum residue limit) on the fruit
or vegetables. Especially since people want
to eat foods with fewer and fewer pesticide
residues, Regev is currently particularly
suited to crops that are eaten fresh, such as
tomatoes and grapes. "
health and stress resistance. That might
lead farmers to move to a fully natural
product sometime in the future. "
Environmental focus
Nativ said growers are becoming
increasingly environmentally conscious.
" They supply whatever the public
demands. It's all a question of price and
what the customer wants. Growers are
very open to change. They just need to
understand what's needed. "
When it comes to Asia, Regev is, so far,
registered only in the Philippines.
" The Asian market is slower to adapt
to biopesticides, " Nativ said. " But we do
believe we will get there. It will just take a
little longer. "
STK Bio-ag Technologies plans to
introduce another hybrid product to the
market within the next three to four years.
" In the long term, we have other
products coming to the market, too. We
believe that in 10 to 20 years, biological
fungicides will be far more widely
accepted. But, until then, we think hybrid
products will lead the way, " Nativ said.
When Summit Agro USA announced
the introduction of the first hybrid
fungicide for U.S. agriculture - Regev, it
was seen as " the next generation disease
control product combines the benefits of a
botanical product with the advantages of a
conventional fungicide. "
" Regev brings together tea tree oil and
difenoconazole giving growers across a
variety of crops a very effective disease
control product, while reducing chemical
usage and providing effective resistance
management control, " said Fred Yates,
Summit Agro marketing manager for
botanical products. " The preventative and
curative activity of Regev with a broad crop
and disease control label, plus its ability to
enhance plant growth and yield all provide
significant value to growers. " FGN
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April 2021

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