24 February 2021, Canada: MustGrow Biologics Corp. (the “Company”, “MustGrow”) is pleased to announce receipt of regulatory approval for a powdery mildew bio-fungicide product for use on cannabis and hemp crops (the “Product”) through Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).
MustGrow has licensed the Product exclusively from a leading multinational biological and microbial company, through a definitive licensing agreement initially announced September 3, 2019. The Product is a natural biological product (not mustard-derived) that aids cannabis and hemp producers with powdery mildew suppression. MustGrow is now able to sell the Product in Canada with the exclusive option to expand internationally. The Product is registered under the MustGrow trademark CannaPMTM as a foliar spray. Although this registration approval presents an immediate revenue opportunity, MustGrow’s core focus remains on developing its signature mustard-derived biopesticide and bioherbicide technologies to control diseases, pests, and weeds.
Powdery Mildew is a widespread fungal disease affecting many plants, including cannabis and hemp. Following the initial infection, spores are continuously produced and spread which further infect other plant leaves in warm & humid conditions. Powdery mildew infections appear as white or grey dusty patches on leaf surfaces, eliminating the plants’ commercial value. A number of “chemical” fungicides are available for powdery mildew control outside of cannabis and hemp, including those containing sulphur, myclobutanil, chlorothalonil, tryfloxystrobin or thiophanate-methyl, but Health Canada’s PMRA deems these “chemical” products unsafe for cannabis and hemp cultivation and are strictly prohibited.
Streptomyces, the active ingredient in the Product, is a biological fungicide/bactericide that suppresses a broad range of soil and foliar ornamental diseases. Active microbes within Streptomyces aid in crop protection from the following harmful diseases: Alternaria, Botrytis, Downy Mildew, Phytomatotricum, Phytophthora, Powdery Mildew, Sclerotinia, Fusarium, Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Verticillium.
