Monheim. Germany
September 17, 2008
Bayer CropScience AG
and Plant Health Care
plc have signed a long-term licence agreement for the use of
Plant Health Care´s harpin genes in Brassica oilseeds. The
naturally occurring Harpin genes encode proteins which support
growth and quality effects by increasing the defense mechanisms
of the plants against a broad spectrum of pests and diseases.
Harpin proteins are classified as biochemical pesticides by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The arrangement covers all geographic areas except Canada, the
U.S.A. and Mexico. Plant Health Care will receive an agreed
structured schedule of payments; further financial terms were
not disclosed.
“We are pleased to expand our research collaboration with Plant
Health Care into the plant biotech field enabling the
incorporation of new traits into our oilseeds R&D pipeline. As
the leading Brassica oilseeds production company Bayer is
committed to develop a new generation of varieties with greater
productivity and improved quality for our customers”, stated Dr.
Michiel van Lookeren Campagne, Head of BioScience Research for
Bayer CropScience. Dr. Greg Lewis, Vice President of Corporate
Development for Plant Health Care commented: “We are delighted
that a company of the stature of Bayer CropScience has
recognized the intrinsic value of the harpin genes in this
application.”
Dr. Zhongmin Wei, Chief Scientific Officer & Vice President of
Harpin Technologies for Plant Health Care, and discoverer of the
technologies, states that within the company’s harpin gene
library there is the potential for different genes and gene
combinations to produce many and varied effects in plants
ranging from increases in growth and yield to enhancement of
resistance to pests, diseases and environmental stressors. Dr.
Wei further commented: “In many experiments with multiple crops
containing harpin genes, researchers have shown increases in
growth, enhanced resistance to nematodes as well as fungal,
bacterial and viral diseases; plus evidence of tolerance to
salinity.”
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the
fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer
CropScience AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of
about EUR 5.8 billion (2007), is one of the world’s leading
innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop
protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant
biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of
products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable
agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer
CropScience has a global workforce of about 17,800 and is
represented in more than 120 countries.
Plant Health Care plc (“PHC”) is a leading provider of natural
products for plants and soil. Established in 1995 in Pittsburgh
(Pennsylvania) in the United States, PHC currently has
approximately 70 employees and has operations in the US, Mexico,
UK, Spain, and the Netherlands. The Company listed on the AIM
market of the London Stock Exchange in July 2004. Ticker symbol
is PHC. PHC’s products are aimed at the landscape, agriculture
and land reclamation industries and are environmentally
beneficial. Through the commercialization of these products, PHC
is capitalizing on current long-term trends toward natural
systems and biological products for plant care and soil and
water management.
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