Major stateside breakthrough for Plant Impact

Preston-based Plant Impact, an AIM-listed specialist in research and development in crop enhancement products, has announced the US launch of Fortalis, a yield-enhancing foliar spray for soybean.

The product launch represents Plant Impact’s first commercial sales into the important US soybean market following several years of research and pre-commercial grower trials in America.

Fortalis is now available to US retailers and growers and will be marketed in the 2017 crop season across key soybean-growing states via three new commercial partnerships with Helena Chemical Company, GROWMARK, and the Van Diest Supply Company.

These partners represent three of the leading distribution partners in the US agricultural market.  Collectively, they provide agronomic support, advisory and supply services across 100% of the US soybean growing states.

Fortalis contains the second generation of Plant Impact’s patented CaT technology, optimised for US soybean growing conditions and grower practices and subject to a pending patent application.
 
Fortalis was also recently introduced by Bayer CropScience in the Argentine soybean market. This product is the second generation of the technology behind Veritas, which has been sold to growers in Brazil over the past four growing seasons.

Plant Impact recently completed a three-year research scale and pre-commercial grower trial programme using Fortalis across the US soybean growing regions.

These tests have shown particular improvements in soybean crop health when Fortalis is applied in conjunction with foliar soybean fungicides marketed by the industry’s largest agrochemical manufacturers.  

Specifically, across results from nearly 150 treatment comparisons, when Fortalis is combined in a tank mix with the grower’s preferred foliar fungicide, soybean crop yields improve by an average of 4.8 bushels per acre vs. an untreated control.

This is equivalent to more than a 9% improvement on average US soybean yields, and these results have been achieved in conjunction with a variety of fungicides.  

John Brubaker, Plant Impact chief executive, said: “Growers across the US are facing challenging economic conditions and there is no better time to find new ways to drive more value from the same acres.

“Fortalis can help growers close their yield gap by pushing yields closer to their potential and it is the second product to achieve our exacting quality standard.

“We are proud to be working with some of the very best distributors in the United States and look forward to launching Fortalis with these partners to improve soybean plant health and bring value to our US retail and grower customers.”

Close