Arysta LifeScience Receives U.S. Registration for MIDAS®; Paves way to address global phase out of Methyl Bromide
CARY, N.C., October 8, 2007 – Arysta LifeScience today announced
that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted
commercial registration for one year to MIDAS®, a
broad-spectrum soil fumigant that effectively controls a broad range of
soil-borne diseases, nematodes, weed seeds and insects that threaten
high-value crops such as ornamentals, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers,
stone fruit, nuts and vines, as well as turf. MIDAS® will be widely available through select fumigant distributors by October 2007.
MIDAS® was developed to help growers with
the phase out of methyl bromide under the Montreal Protocol. Worldwide,
about 72,000 tons of methyl bromide are used each year according to
U.S. EPA data. North America uses about 27,000 tons annually, 85
percent of which is used for soil fumigation. Growers around the world
have long relied on methyl bromide as their choice fumigant and the
phase out has left growers with few effective broad-spectrum choices.
“MIDAS® is the fumigant answer for which many growers have been looking,” said Mike Allan, Global Product Manager for MIDAS®. “MIDAS®
is the right foundation for success for growers because it provides
broad-spectrum control of target pests and diseases and uses
conventional application techniques and equipment. MIDAS® has been proven to be as effective as methyl bromide at lower application rates.”
MIDAS® is considered a foundation crop protection product because it is applied pre-plant to bare soil. MIDAS®
provides broad-spectrum crop protection which can reduce the overall
chemical need and helps establish a strong healthy crop that delivers
high yields. In trials in the Southeast U.S., half of the growers who
participated saw an increase in yield over their methyl bromide-treated
acreage. The remaining growers saw results similar to those achieved
with methyl bromide.
“This registration, after many years of hard work on the part of the
Arysta team, is further evidence of our company’s dedication to our
grower partners,” said Bill Lewis, CEO of Arysta LifeScience North
America Corporation. “Throughout the regulatory process, we have
remained committed to our principles of partnership with the
agriculture community.”
MIDAS® has been in use under an Experimental
Use Permit (EUP) in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia since 2006. The EPA added test acreage
in California in 2007. The company used these trials to evaluate
efficacy, market yields and economic comparisons across several crops.
Half of the growers who participated saw, on average, a 19 percent
yield increase compared to methyl bromide on side-by-side trials on
commercial acreage. The remaining growers saw results similar to those
achieved with methyl bromide. Crops raised under the EUP are approved
for sale to the market.
MIDAS® is the first new soil fumigant to be
registered by the EPA in 20 years. A comprehensive data package
supports the product label. Arysta is committed to ensuring proper
handling and application of MIDAS® through the
Arysta Certified Applicator Training Program. In an effort to further
ensure protection of workers and bystanders, the EPA has implemented
buffer zones that are scalable based upon fumigant rate and number of
acres applied. This will allow growers more control over their fumigant
use. MIDAS® is approved for use on strawberries,
tomatoes, peppers, ornamentals, stone fruits, nut crops, vine crops
(including table and wine grapes), turf and nursery crops.
Arysta continues to build international support for MIDAS®
with trials in many countries including Japan, Australia, New Zealand,
Turkey, Morocco, South Africa, Israel, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Brazil,
Mexico and Chile.
The registration is further evidence of Arysta LifeScience’s
presence in the high-value fruit and vegetable crop market, which
represents approximately US$8 billion in sales in 2006. MIDAS®
is a complement to the company’s existing crop protection products that
are used on crops ranging from corn and soybeans to fruits, nut trees
and nursery crops.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Arysta LifeScience is the world’s
largest privately held crop protection and life science company with
2006 revenues of ¥124.1 billion (US$1 billion). An entrepreneurial
provider of crop protection and life science products in more than 125
countries worldwide, Arysta LifeScience specializes in the marketing
and distribution of respected crop protection brands and life science
products in harmony with the needs of global producers. More
information on the company is available at: www.arystalifescience.com.
For more information, please contact:
Contact:
Linda Frerichs
Global Communications Head
Arysta LifeScience North America Corporation
Tel: +1-919-678-4948
Email: linda.frerichs@arystalifescience.com
Contact:
Jamie Sears
Tel: +1 502-292-4036
Mobile: +1 502-554-0938
Email: jsears@perituspr.com