Cary, North Carolina, USA
August 20, 2014

Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc. (MCAG), and Hokusan Co., Ltd. (HOK), announced the signing of an exclusive licensing agreement allowing Verdesian Life Sciences global access to its patented technology for suppressing mycotoxin contamination in wheat and barley, a significant problem for growers.

Under the terms of the agreement, MCAG and HOK have granted Verdesian an exclusive license to commercialize this expanded usage for Verdesian’s proprietary Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) technologies in all countries except Japan. That means wheat and barley growers will now have access to this technology to help fight mycotoxins through a number of Verdesian products.

Mycotoxins are chemicals that are toxic to humans and livestock, and are a result of fungal infection. The most prevalent pathogen responsible is Fusarium head blight, also known as scab, which causes more than $2 billion in losses worldwide, annually. Small grain producers face devastating yield losses due to poor grain quality, lower test weights and mycotoxin contamination in years when Fusarium head blight is severe. And, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, mycotoxins are a growing problem for the cereals industry.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most potent mycotoxins. Even low levels of infection can result in unacceptable levels of DON in the grain. Farmers can incur significant losses in income due not only to yield losses but also rejection of wheat and barley shipments due to DON contamination.

While less susceptible varieties, crop rotation and management practices to reduce contaminated grains are common practices to fight infection, the MACG/HOK patent expands the use of Verdesian’s patented SAR products as a valuable method for inhibiting mycotoxin, particularly DON, contamination in cereals.

“Even fungicides with good activity against Fusarium head blight may offer poor suppression of mycotoxins,” said Nigel Grech, executive vice president, science and technology, Verdesian. “In fact, strobilurin fungicides, while controlling Fusarium head blight, can actually induce increases in the level of DON in grain tissues.”

Research shows that Verdesian’s SAR chemistry significantly reduced DON levels to below acceptable levels in wheat and barley, as well as inhibited the strobilurin-induced increase in DON when tank-mixed with azoxystrobin.

“Uniquely, Fusarium head blight of wheat and barley is a disease that, even when infections levels are low, the associated mycotoxins that contaminate the grain can result in crop rejections,” Grech added, which is why the company was interested in this new licensing agreement.

"Verdesian remains committed to developing and acquiring new technologies that improve plant health and increase marketable yield,” said Greg Thompson, chief operating officer for Verdesian. “We’re excited to further the development of our expanding SAR platforms that contribute to a solution for this very serious challenge that affects wheat and barley growers.”

MCAG/HOK distributes certain Verdesian products in Japan, and this new technology represents the culmination of more than 10 years of joint research among the three companies.

“Verdesian Life Sciences, Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc., and Hokusan Co Ltd., have cooperated together on this project for many years,” said Shinya Niimi, manager, Product Development Group, Development Department of MCAG. “We are most pleased that we have concluded an agreement that will result in a technology being available to growers that will greatly benefit food safety.”

Verdesian products that contain this technology will be available for use in late 2014.

Verdesian Life Sciences is a plant health and nutrition company with patented biological, nutritional, seed treatment and inoculant technologies that help specialty and row crop growers and turf management professionals maximize their nitrogen and phosphorus investments. Founded in 2012 to acquire and grow plant health product companies, Verdesian is based in Cary, N.C., with production and manufacturing facilities in Visalia, Calif., Pasco, Wash., and Kentland, Ind.

Verdesian Life Sciences is a portfolio company of Paine & Partners, LLC.

About Verdesian Life Sciences
Founded in 2012, Verdesian Life Sciences offers patented biological, nutritional, seed treatment & inoculant technologies for high-value specialty crops, row crops and turf and ornamental markets. Our plant-health products, nutritional catalysts and seed treatments/inoculants help growers farm more efficiently to maximize yields. Verdesian’s technologies answer the needs facing agriculture including increasing pressures on food demand, supply and food safety.  Verdesian remains committed to the research and development of environmentally sustainable products.

Further information about Verdesian is available at www.VLSci.com.

About Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc.
Mitsui Chemicals (Tokyo:4183, ISIN:JP3888300005), which traces its roots back to 1912, has an annual sales of US$ 15,660 million in the fiscal year ending March 2014 and more than 135 companies with 14,500 employees in 27 countries. As one of Japan’s leading chemical companies, Mitsui Chemicals contributes broadly to society by providing high-quality products and services to customers through innovations and creation of materials and products while keeping in harmony with the global environment. Mitsui Chemicals’ business portfolio includes healthcare, automotive materials, food packaging, energy, agrochemicals, and others.

Mitsui Chemicals’ global agrochemical business is operated by its 100% subsidiary, Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc. who supplies innovative agrochemicals for crop protection and pest management. The company always stands for customer’s view, offers “Very safe”, “Highly functional”, and “Environmentally friendly” products and services, and contributes to the sustainable agriculture.

Latest group news can be found at www.mitsuichem.com.

About Hokusan Co. Ltd
Hokusan, which was founded in 1951 as a manufacturer of agrochemicals, has an annual sales of 10,482 million Yen in fiscal year ending September 2013 only in Hokkaido in Japan with 164 employees. Hokusan contributes to farming and farmers in Hokkaido by providing high-quality products and services, especially as the only one agricultural manufacturer with a research division in Hokkaido. Also Hokusan has been developing and industrializing a product made using biotechnology. Hokusan’s business portfolio includes artificial soil, seedlings of strawberries, veterinary chemicals and others.

Website: http://www.hoxan.co.jp/english/

Published: August 20, 2014