New PoMaxaTM Plant Growth Regulator from Valent BioSciences Receives EPA Registration

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Valent BioSciences Corporation (VBC) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted registration approval for PoMaxa^TM Plant Growth Regulator (PGR). PoMaxa is a potent auxin-based product that maximizes thinning and harvest management programs on apples and pears and will also increase return bloom in both apples and pears.

“The convenience of having one product and one formulation with multiple uses is definitely a plus for growers”

The newest addition to VBC’s biorational portfolio of pome fruit products, PoMaxa is based on the active ingredient 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid and offers growers the convenience of multiple uses in a single, easy-to-use formulation.

“The addition of PoMaxa to our product portfolio gives pome fruit growers another powerful tool to get the best results from their PGR program,” said Johan Pienaar, global business manager of the PGR business unit for VBC. “The versatility of this product and the outstanding results we’ve seen through our intensive trial work adds up to tremendous potential in 2013 and beyond.”

Pienaar says PoMaxa was developed specifically for use in a program with VBC plant growth regulators MaxCel^® and ReTain^®, both industry standards in the production of high quality pome fruit. PoMaxa is used with MaxCel in early season applications to maximize thinning, fruit size and return bloom. Later in the season, PoMaxa is used with ReTain to maximize harvest management potential without sacrificing fruit quality or storageability.

“The convenience of having one product and one formulation with multiple uses is definitely a plus for growers,” Pienaar says. “The development of PoMaxa is a testament to what’s possible when industry leaders come together to find ways to improve productivity and efficiencies in an environment where fruit quality is still king, and is the result of our commitment to helping growers sustainably improve productivity, efficiency, fruit quality and value.”

Sales of PoMaxa will begin immediately through VBC’s sister company, Valent U.S.A. Corporation. Valent’s team of technical support and sales representatives have worked closely with VBC throughout the development process and are positioned to assist its customers in the adoption of PoMaxa throughout pome fruit growing regions of the U.S.

About Valent BioSciences Corporation

About Valent BioSciences Corporation: Headquartered in Libertyville, IL, Valent BioSciences is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Chemical Company. Valent BioSciences is the worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of biorational products, with sales in 95 countries around the world. Valent BioSciences is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.valentbiosciences.com.

About Valent U.S.A. Corporation

Valent, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., develops and markets products in the United States and Canada that protect agricultural crops, enhance crop yields, improve food quality, beautify the environment and safeguard public health. Valent products include a well-known line of quality herbicide, insecticide, fungicide and plant growth regulator products for agricultural, seed protection and professional use. It differentiates itself from its competitors as a leader in marketing and sales of both biorational and traditional chemical products. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.valent.com.