Scotts Miracle-Gro, Marrone Bio Innovations to Develop Natural Lawn and Garden Products
31 October 2011 MARYSVILLE, Ohio, and DAVIS, Calif., — Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI) said they entered into a research and development deal to develop agricultural biopesticides for lawn and garden products, spurred by rising consumer demand.
The relationship could spawn biopesticides technologies that can be applied to agriculture. MBI has been making aggressive inroads with its partnerships in agriculture in addition to other pest control sectors.
Under terms of the agreement, Scotts Miracle-Gro, the world’s largest marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products, said it will have access to MBI’s full portfolio of biopesticides for the development of new products for the lawn and garden market. MBI will manufacture and supply any resulting products and ScottsMiracle-Gro will maintain marketing rights. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“This agreement with Scotts is an example of executing on our strategy to focus on core agriculture and water markets while partnering with leading companies for other markets,” MBI CEO Pam Marrone said in a statement. “There is no better partner than ScottsMiracle-Gro for understanding and accessing the consumer lawn and garden market.”
Derived from naturally occurring compounds, MBI’s biopesticides are used increasingly in farming because they effectively control pests, can enhance plant health and increase yields, and leave no residues on crops or in the environment, according to the company. Consumer demand for natural products for their own yards and gardens is also rising. MBI has three registered products and a pipeline of early stage and advanced biopesticides for farming and water treatment.
“We are excited about this new partnership with MBI because we believe it will lead to improved products that enable gardeners who choose natural options to get great results,” Bruce Caldwell, ScottsMiracle-Gro’s Global R&D Leader, said in a statement. “Our goal is to provide the tools and products consumers need to be successful, and it is important to offer natural products that are truly effective.”
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