http://www.serenadegarden.com () —
AgraQuest, Inc. announced today the launch of SERENADE Garden, the first home and garden biofungicide based on its patented active ingredient Bacillus subtilis strain QST 713, into the Canadian market. SERENADE Garden will be distributed through Greenstar Plant Products, Inc.
SERENADE Garden will be available in 0.946 liter (32 ounce) concentrate and ready-to-use formulations. SERENADE Garden is an organic biofungicide, and is non-toxic to beneficial insects, including honey bees. It can be used on a wide variety of plants including flowers, fruits and vegetables. SERENADE Garden is based on the SERENADE Garden Disease Control product line, which are OMRI listed and NOP approved products that were first introduced to the United States home market in 2004.
"SERENADE Garden is a new product with unique mode of action for Canadian home gardeners," said Mike Miille, President and COO for AgraQuest. "With chemical restrictions in Canada, it is great to have another tool for gardeners for fungal and bacterial disease suppression."
Greenstar Plant Products, Inc. will distribute the SERENADE Garden line in Canada. Greenstar Plant Products is a Canada-based manufacturer and distributor of garden-related products to retail indoor and outdoor garden centers, organic farms, greenhouses, nurseries, municipalities, vineyards and landscapers.
"SERENADE Garden is an excellent, organic biofungicide that helps home gardeners protect their plants against diseases," said Brent Jackson, President for Greenstar Plant Products. "We're excited about the opportunity to sell this product in Canada."
Products based on AgraQuest's patented B. subtilis strain QST 713 have been protecting crops from foliar diseases for nearly a decade, since the first SERENADE product was introduced in the U.S. in 2000. Registrations have been obtained in more than 26 countries, including several countries in the European Union, Latin America, Japan and Canada.
Investment in products like SERENADE Garden are part of the $130 million spent by AgraQuest on research and development designed to revolutionize the way we produce food globally.
About AgraQuest, Inc.AgraQuest is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, manufacturing and marketing highly effective pest management products for agricultural, institutional and home markets. The company holds a large portfolio of its own proprietary products, as well as actively in-licenses technology that fits into its low chem portfolio. As a leader in green agriculture and the emerging low chem sector, AgraQuest works to provide growers with solutions that offer best in class control while reducing the chemical load on the environment and creating sustainable agriculture opportunities. The Agrochemical division of AgraQuest offers a global portfolio of products -- recognized as safer to beneficials, workers and the environment -- that includes SERENADE@, SERENADE@ Garden, RHAPSODY@, SONATA@, and BALLAD PLUS@ fungicides and REQUIEM@ insecticides. AgraQuest's BioInnovations division provides the company an avenue to take biological and low-chemical technology created for the agriculture industry and discover innovative uses for it in related markets. AgraQuest has received several environmental awards including the Presidential Green Chemistry Award from the U.S. EPA for the discovery and commercialization of SERENADE. It also received the prestigious Global Frost & Sullivan Growth Leadership Award in 2009 for the biopesticides market. For more information visit www.agraquest.com (http://www.agraquest.com) .
About Greenstar Plant Products, Inc.Greenstar Plant Products is a 100 percent Canadian owned company based in Langley, British Columbia. With distribution centres in Langley, B.C. and Mississauga, Ontario, Greenstar is the only National Lawn and Garden distributor in Canada.
For more than 14 years, Greenstar Plant Products has provided and manufactured quality horticultural products for the Canadian and International markets. Greenstar goes beyond serving clients' basic needs by providing a complete and comprehensive assortment of goods and services. The company's success is built on consistently maintaining a high level of customer service that supports a focused supply chain management system.
Whether it is processing orders, overnight delivery or technical support, you'll find a team of service providers at Greenstar Plant Products available and devoted to meeting and exceeding your expectations. Environmental responsibility is also an important issue for the company and Greenstar is dedicated to sourcing and distributing quality products that put people and the environment first.
