Silvec Announces EPA Registration for its Novel Therapy Delivery Technology

GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Silvec Biologics Inc., a Maryland-based agricultural biotechnology company, is pleased to announce that its novel RNA-based therapy delivery product is now registered for unconditional commercial use under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

The product is based on a naturally non-transmitted version of the citrus tristeza virus that is already found in most Florida citrus trees that has been reprogrammed to induce the trees to produce a natural antimicrobial peptide found in spinach called “defensin” which has been shown to reduce citrus greening levels and provide long-term protection without modification of the tree’s genome. Silvec is working to expand its products to cover a wide range of crops and diseases.

“We are excited to build on 15 years of pioneering work by Southern Gardens Citrus (a subsidiary of U.S. Sugar), the University of Florida, and Texas A&M and look forward to beginning to partner with growers in late 2026 through the Florida Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program,” said Dr. Rafael Simon, co-founder and CEO of Silvec.

Citrus greening disease (also known as Huanglongbing), has impacted citrus production globally. Florida is especially hard hit, with production down 95% in 2025 from its pre-disease peak.

“Florida’s citrus industry is at a critical juncture, and we are depending on new approaches like Silvec’s new therapy delivery technology to ensure a viable future,” said Matt Joyner, executive vice president and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual.

“In partnership with the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Silvec is currently working on several new product generations that provide enhanced protection against citrus greening and other bacteria, fungi, and insects using our novel technology platform,” said Dr. Anne Simon, Chief Scientist and co-founder of Silvec, and Professor of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Maryland.

“After years of collaborative research and development with the citrus industry and private sector, we are pleased to see the spinach defensin therapeutic technology achieve EPA registration with no tolerance limit, which is a testament to the product safety,” added Dr. Kranthi Mandadi, Professor of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center at Weslaco.

About Silvec Biologics

Silvec Biologics is a Gaithersburg, Maryland-based agricultural biotechnology company founded in 2019 that develops products to protect and enhance plants without their genetic modification, providing long-term protection against a wide range of pests and pathogens.

About Florida Citrus Mutual

Formed in 1948, Florida Citrus Mutual is the state’s largest trade association dedicated solely to the well-being of the Florida citrus grower. https://www.flcitrusmutual.com/

About US Sugar

U.S. Sugar is a South Florida farming company that sustainably grows sugarcane, citrus, sweet corn and other winter and spring vegetables. www.ussugar.com.

About Texas A&M AgriLife Research

Texas A&M AgriLife Research pioneers knowledge about agriculture, natural resources, and the life sciences to nourish health, strengthen communities, and support economies. https://AgriLiferesearch.tamu.edu/

About University of Florida IFAS

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ mission is to discover and develop knowledge, encourage innovative study, and create applications to address challenges facing agriculture, natural resources, and human systems and to make that knowledge accessible to improve the quality of human life. http://ifas.ufl.edu

About UM Ventures

UM Ventures is a joint initiative of the University of Maryland, Baltimore and University of Maryland, College Park to commercialize technologies and expand industry collaboration. https://www.umventures.org

Additional information is available at Silvec Biologic’s website www.silvec.com. For more information, contact: Rafael Simon at [e-mail].