RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – The agriculture industry is feeling the pressure – a growing population, regulation, chemical resistance, and the consumer expectation of less synthetic treatments.

Research Triangle Park’s AgBiome is not only creating a new product to combat these pressures, but it’s also creating a new industry standard in agriculture.

This week, AgBiome submitted its new product, Theia, to the Environmental Protection Agency for review.  If it is approved, Theia will be the company’s second fungicide on the market in the past three years.

AgBiome works primarily on the microbial level, researching and developing microorganisms and proteins that can kill pests, fungal diseases and weeds.  The company has recently expanded its production team and product pipeline to further its objective of “feeding the world responsibly.”

Theia and Howler, AgBiome’s first fungicide, are game changers in the fight for plant products that are friendly to humans and the environment.  While chemical treatments can leave toxic residue on food, biological treatments like these fungicides are made with living microorganisms.  This means the product is biodegradable, non-polluting and leaves no harmful residue.  In a nutshell, it’s safe for humans and animals.

According to co-founder Scott Uknes Ph. D., Howler is the only biological that can compete with ag chemicals.  Under AgBiome’s strong leadership, Howler’s sister product, Theia, should be able to perform at an equally high caliber.

Theia will have an important role in fighting foliar diseases, which are diseases relating to a plant’s leaves.  These pathogens can greatly reduce crop yields, so while Theia is tackling an environmental matter of synthetic plant treatments, it is also sustaining the production quota.  With an ever-close eye on health standards, AgBiome’s leaps in innovation are progressively easing the pressure off the agriculture industry.