Marrone Bio to distribute Bio-Tam 2.0 biofungicide

Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. and Isagro USA, Inc. announced a distribution agreement under which Marrone Bio will distribute the Isagro Trichoderma based biofungicide to agricultural crop markets in California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona under the Bio-Tam 2.0 brand.

Bio-Tam 2.0 is a biofungicide with a combination of two species of beneficial Trichoderma fungi, Marrone Bio said.  Bio-Tam 2.0, formulated as a wettable powder, is used in the management of soil-borne diseases including the following, according to the company: Fusarium spp., Phytophthora spp., Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., Sclerotinia spp., Sclerotium rolfsii, Thielaviopsis basicola, and Verticillium spp, as well as Armillaria sp. and Rosellinia sp. These soil-borne root and collar rot diseases affect a wide range of vegetable, fruit, row and ornamental crops.

Marrone Bio said Bio-Tam 2.0 can be used on most crops, including fruiting vegetables, leafy vegetables and cucurbits, and is an effective tool to reduce the stress of disease infections associated with many soil-borne pathogens. Bio-Tam 2.0 colonizes the crop roots and surrounding soil, acting as a protectant, forming a barrier that is antagonistic to disease infection, the company said. Bio-Tam 2.0 also attacks the pathogen cell walls with enzymes that actively inhibit disease infection.

Bio-Tam 2.0 also supports the California, Oregon and Washington grape and wine grape industries with a solution for grapevine trunk disease, Marrone Bio said. According to  University of California pest management guidelines, every vineyard is likely to become infected with one or more trunk diseases at some point during the life of the vineyard.

Bio-Tam 2.0 recently gained EPA registration for the grapevine trunk disease caused by Phaeomoniella spp. (part of the Esca fungal disease complex). A California Department of Pesticide Registration decision is pending. Bio-Tam 2.0 controls a range of soil-borne diseases and  complement Regalia Biofungicide, the company said.