Global field trials of safe and sustainable micropeptides illustrate potential in crop protection applications

Micropep Technologies (Micropep), the global leader in micropeptide technology, today announced successful efficacy results of its new biofungicide micropeptide ingredient during the 2022 field testing season. The field trials’ results showcased a great level of control against different diseases, demonstrating the use of micropeptides as a safe and efficient alternative to conventional crop protection.

As the world’s population is expected to increase to 10 billion by 2050, there has never been a greater demand for safe, affordable, and nutritious food. But at the same time, farmers are losing crop protection tools faster than they are being replaced due to the demand by consumers for the reduction of the use of chemicals and more stringent government regulations. There is an urgent and immediate need for safe and sustainable solutions to help establish food security by improving the quality of crop yields. For many, the answer is biological fungicides, a market projected to reach USD 4.9 Billion by 2030¹.

"Farmers are under pressure: we are counting on them to continue feeding the world despite the changing climate, and at the same time, the toolbox at their disposal is shrinking. Micropep is developing the next generation of sustainable crop protection tools to provide farmers with cost-effective solutions,” said Thomas Laurent, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Micropep. “The success we’ve seen at this early stage of our field testing is invigorating and strongly indicates that we are on course to change the world of fungal control with effective naturally-derived products that address key issues such as the evolution of resistance to current fungicides.”

Experimentation and innovation are at the heart of farming. Field testing forms a critical link in proving both the safety and efficacy of micropeptide solutions for farmers and brings the solution one step closer to market entry. As part of its testing, Micropep conducted over 25 efficacy validation trials in different fields across the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Micropep’s MPD-01 product was tested in the trials and resulted in equal or greater efficacy than commercial chemical benchmarks.

Following its proven success in the field, Micropep’s MPD-01 is advancing into the development phase, where new formulations and application timing will be tested to best position it within existing agronomic programs. MPD-01 is based on a novel broad-spectrum mode of action and targets downy mildew, powdery mildew, phytophthora, and other fungi. These fungi cause potato blight and other diseases in a wide variety of plants, including fruits and vegetables, significantly impacting yield and quality.

Inspired by nature, the strength of micropeptides is that they can be effective at 1/10th to 1/100th of the doses used with some conventional chemicals. They are also compatible with new regenerative agricultural practices, and as they naturally degrade in soil and water, they are safe for humans and the environment.

“The power of our discovery and micropeptide design platform is that we leverage the potential of several complementary modes of actions with the capability of bioengineering to manufacture micropeptides at scale with a 100x improvement in cost compared to chemical synthesis. Our proprietary bioproduction system selects the best micropeptide candidates based on their production yield potential, which provides our farmers with the success they need at an affordable price,” said Mikael Courbot, Chief Technology Officer of Micropep.

Meeting the demand for accelerated agricultural productivity is likely to only get harder. However, when agricultural operations are sustainably managed, they have the ability to preserve and restore critical habitats, help protect watersheds, and improve soil health and water quality. Micropep provides farmers with safe, efficient, and sustainable natural solutions that help adapt agricultural systems to the impact of climate change and help save the planet.

About Micropep Technologies

Micropep Technologies, with operations in the US and France, is a global leader in breakthrough micropeptide technology. The company has developed a proprietary AI-powered discovery platform for micropeptides, which are short protein molecules naturally produced by plant cells and have an infinite number of applications. Micropep is building the next generation of natural solutions addressing global challenges in multiple markets, with a key focus in agriculture.

¹https://www.vantagemarketresearch.com/press-release/bio-fungicides-market-861518

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