BioConsortia unveils latest bionematicide results from Brazil

DAVIS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 5, 2024--

BioConsortia, Inc., a leading agricultural technology company that discovers, designs and out licenses advanced microbial products to reduce the ecological impacts of agriculture while ensuring crop productivity, this week unveiled the latest results of SOLVARIX bionematicide field testing during an industry meeting in Campinas, Brazil. The company also shared latest yield findings from Brazilian trials of ALWAYS-N seed treatments and conducted meetings with commercial partners.

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In a presentation to the participants at the BioControl and BioStimulant – LATAM meeting, Dr. Debora Wilk, BioConsortia’s Director of Plant Pathology, unveiled the latest results of SOLVARIX bionematicide testing in Brazil. Dr. Wilk shared the strengths of SOLVARIX bionematicide and its strong fit for the Brazilian market. “SOLVARIX, in both USA and Brazil, has demonstrated direct control of important nematode pests and increased corn yields 578 kilograms per hectare (8.6 bushels per acre) on average,” said Dr. Wilk. “The product is highly consistent, delivering increased yields in 91% of all trials, and outperforms leading chemical nematicides in both yield contribution and consistency.”

The Brazilian bionematicide market is growing rapidly, from 160 million Brazilian Reales in 2014 to 1.6 billion Reales in 2021. The growth reflects the emergence of nematodes as a critical yield-destroying pest in Brazilian agriculture and a lack of sufficient chemical products to meet the pest challenge.

“BioConsortia’s microbial seed treatment products are an excellent fit for nematode challenges impacting key crops in Brazil like corn, soybean, sugarcane, cotton and vegetables,” said Marcus Meadows-Smith, the company’s CEO. “Based on a patented strain of spore-forming microbes isolated using our powerful AMS strain discovery system, SOLVARIX is shelf stable for two years and on-seed stable for an additional two years. This eases grower handling and storage of the product and opens a new addressable market among Brazil’s seed companies.”

BioConsortia is pursing registrations and anticipates launching SOLVARIX bionematicide through seed and crop protection partners, initially in Brazil and USA beginning in 2026, with global commercialization to follow.

ABOUT BIOCONSORTIA

BioConsortia, Inc. develops superior microbial products that protect plants, enhance fertility, and increase yields while improving the sustainability of agriculture for our environment. Pioneering the use of directed selection within microbial communities, our patented Advanced Microbial Selection (AMS) process and cutting-edge GenePro genomics and gene-engineering platform enable us to predict, design, and unleash the natural power of microbes.

BioConsortia’s microbial products deliver superior efficacy, higher consistency, and easier grower adoption. The Company’s rich pipeline includes nitrogen fixation microbes to replace or reduce synthetic nitrogen fertilizers; nutrient use efficiency and biostimulants to increase crop yields; bionematicides & biofungicides to protect crops from pests and diseases; and products for post-harvest pathogen control to safeguard food waste in the distribution chain, retail store and home. BioConsortia is producing breakthrough solutions for growers in major agricultural markets with multiple environmental benefits.

In field studies conducted by third-party researchers throughout the USA and Brazil, Solvarix bionematicide was shown to control corn nematodes and improve yields more effectively than leading chemical nematicdes. (Credit: BioConsortia 2024)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Monday launched his family's cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial, with an interview on the X social media platform in which he also gave his first public comments on the apparent assassination attempt against him a day earlier.

Trump did not discuss specifics about World Liberty Financial or how it would work, pivoting from questions about cryptocurrency to talking about artificial intelligence or other topics. Instead, he recounted his experience Sunday, saying he and a friend playing golf “heard shots being fired in the air, and I guess probably four or five.”

“I would have loved to have sank that last putt,” Trump said. He credited the Secret Service agent who spotted the barrel of a rifle and began firing toward it as well as law enforcement and a civilian who he said helped track down the suspect.

World Liberty Financial is expected to be a borrowing and lending service used to trade cryptocurrencies, which are forms of digital money that can be traded over the internet without relying on the global banking system. Exchanges often charge fees for withdrawals of Bitcoin and other currencies.

Other speakers after Trump, including his eldest son, Don Jr., talked about embracing cryptocurrency as an alternative to what they allege is a banking system tilted against conservatives.

Experts have said a presidential candidate launching a business venture in the midst of a campaign could create ethical conflicts.

“Taking a pro-crypto stance is not necessarily troubling; the troubling aspect is doing it while starting a way to personally benefit from it,” Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said earlier this month.

During his time in the White House, Trump said he was “not a fan” of cryptocurrency and tweeted in 2019, “Unregulated Crypto Assets can facilitate unlawful behavior, including drug trade and other illegal activity." However, during this election cycle, he has reversed himself and taken on a favorable view of cryptocurrencies.

He announced in May that his campaign would begin accepting donations in cryptocurrency as part of an effort to build what it calls a “crypto army” leading up to Election Day. He attended a bitcoin conference in Nashville this year, promising to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the planet” and create a bitcoin “strategic reserve” using the currency that the government currently holds.

Hilary Allen, a law professor at American University who has done research on cryptocurrencies, said she was skeptical of Trump's change of heart on crypto.

“I think it’s fair to say that that reversal has been motivated in part by financial interests,” she said.

Crypto enthusiasts welcomed the shift, viewing the launch as a positive sign for investors if Trump retakes the White House.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has not offered policy proposals on how it would regulate digital assets like cryptocurrencies.

In an effort to appeal to crypto investors, a group of Democrats, including Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, participated in an online “Crypto 4 Harris” event in August.

Neither Harris nor members of her campaign staff attended the event.

Gomez Licon contributed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump waves as he boards a plane at Harry Reid International Airport after a campaign trip, Saturday, Sept.14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)