EPA Approves First Ever Fungicide Applied by Bees

Bee Vectoring Technologies experimental hives

In the bee vectoring process, bees travel through a biological material that is delivered to blooms of plants like strawberries to fight disease.
Photo by Frank Giles

The EPA has recently approved Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc.’s (BVT) Clonostachys rosea CR-7 (CR-7) for use as a fungicide on commercial crops. CR-7 is the first registered active ingredient approved by the government agency for application via bees, known as “bee vectoring.”

Sold under the brand name Vectorite with CR-7, the product is labeled for numerous high-value crops, including strawberries, blueberries, and almonds.

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BVT is expected to launch the product this fall.

With this approval, BVT is positioned to officially launch and begin to generate revenue with Vectorite with CR-7, starting with this year’s fall and winter blueberry and strawberry season in the U.S.

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By using commercially reared bees to deliver biological products, growers can protect crops, increase crop yields, and enhance their sustainable growing practices by reducing the use of chemicals and other costly and increasingly scarce resources including water, fuel and labor,” Ashish Malik, CEO of BVT said.

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