Plant Health Care PLC
06 December 2004
For immediate release: 6 December 2004
PLANT HEALTH CARE ANNOUNCES SPECTACULAR RESULTS OF INDEPENDENT FORMONONETIN
TESTS
Results show crop yield increases of up to 42%
Plant Health Care plc ('PHC' or the 'Company'), a leading provider of natural
products for plants and soil, is pleased to announce very encouraging results
following independent trials of its newly acquired Formononetin product.
The tests were carried out in the United States on soybean and corn seeds by two
independent professional research groups, Beck Hybrid and AgriBusiness Group,
and took place in six locations with differing soil and climatic
characteristics. Yield increases of corn and soybean crops from seed treated
with Formononetin were substantial. In the case of corn, yields improved by up
to 25% and soybean yields improved by up to 42%. The benefits were most apparent
in those areas where soil quality was low and the weather was poor.
In the UK and Europe where GM farming is currently restricted, the directors
believe that the use of Formononetin will allow farmers to produce yields
equivalent to or exceeding those of GM crops. Similarly if Formononetin was used
in areas of the world where soil quality is particularly poor and rainfall is
unpredictable the directors believe the potential for improved growth and
increased yields is tremendous. There is scope for broad agricultural
application of Formononetin and the positive results shown will help facilitate
uptake of the product, as part of Plant Health Care's full product range.
Background: PHC synthesizes Formononetin, a compound originally identified from
plant roots that stimulates the growth of mycorrhizal fungi already existing in
soil. In natural soil, mycorrhizal fungi are readily available to plants;
however, in urban landscapes, degraded lands and most agricultural lands,
mycorrhizal fungi are often not present in adequate quantities. Stimulating
plant roots with mycorrhizal fungi products can increase the surface area of the
root system and improve the health and survivability of plants. The addition of
Formononetin to soil or seed has been demonstrated in numerous field trials to
increase the yields of row crops such as corn, soybeans and cotton, even when
used in very small quantities. PHC acquired the Formononetin synthesis
technology through its acquisition of VAMTech LLC last October.
John Brady, Plant Health Care's CEO, said: 'We strongly believe that
Formononetin can revolutionise the treatment of row crops. We have successfully
been using Formononentin in our products for over three years. These new,
independent test results further demonstrate that natural biological-based
products can produce results that are equivalent to, or exceed, conventional
plant care products. Our test marketing has shown there is huge demand for
effective, natural products for row crops. Mass production of Formononetin is
already underway and we have initiated field-testing in the US, Australia,
Africa and Europe. This product has significant revenue potential and we expect
to start generating revenue in 2005, with considerable market penetration in
2006. We are confident that our Formononetin product will make a major impact in
the production of commodity row crops in the future.'
For further information please contact:
Plant Health Care plc Tavistock Communications
John Brady, CEO Jeremy Carey/Katy Pratt
Tel: 001 603 525 3702 Tel: 020 7920 3150
Email: kpratt@tavistock.co.uk
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
*A Private Investor is a recipient of the information who meets all of the conditions set out below, the recipient:
Obtains access to the information in a personal capacity;
Is not required to be regulated or supervised by a body concerned with the regulation or supervision of investment or financial services;
Is not currently registered or qualified as a professional securities trader or investment adviser with any national or state exchange, regulatory authority, professional association or recognised professional body;
Does not currently act in any capacity as an investment adviser, whether or not they have at some time been qualified to do so;
Uses the information solely in relation to the management of their personal funds and not as a trader to the public or for the investment of corporate funds;
Does not distribute, republish or otherwise provide any information or derived works to any third party in any manner or use or process information or derived works for any commercial purposes.
Please note, this site uses cookies. Some of the cookies are essential for parts of the site to operate and have already been set. You may delete and block all cookies from this site, but if you do, parts of the site may not work. To find out more about the cookies used on Investegate and how you can manage them, see our Privacy and Cookie Policy
To continue using Investegate, please confirm that you are a private investor as well as agreeing to our Privacy and Cookie Policy & Terms.