COLUMBIA, MD, March 30, 2010 – The biopesticide company Certis USA announces it has reached a marketing agreement with PQ Corporation of Valley Forge, PA. Certis USA is awarded the right to reintroduce and distribute PQ Corporation’s Sil-MATRIX® fungicide/miticide/insecticide to the U.S. agricultural market. The addition of Sil-MATRIX to the Certis USA product line marks the sixth product the company has introduced in the last six months, making its product line the fastest growing line of biopesticides in the U.S. despite the depressed economy.
Certis USA Executive V.P., NAFTA Tim Damico said, “Our company has become very good at finding novel bioactive ingredients that address specific pest problems experienced by both conventional and organic farmers. It is critical, especially in high-value crop production, that there are pesticides available with different modes of action that are benign or beneficial to the environment. Our customers will be glad they have the option to use Sil-MATRIX.”
PQ Corporation Business Director Barry Schwartz said, ”We believe in working with experts who know their markets. In biopesticides, the expert is Certis USA.” Founded in 1831, PQ Corporation is a developer of performance chemicals and catalysts and is the largest manufacturer, worldwide, of epsom salts.
Potassium silicate is the active ingredient in Sil-MATRIX. It is a highly effective preventive measure for fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew, botrytis and rust, and suppression of mites, aphids and whiteflies. Sil-MATRIX can be used under high temperatures without fear of burning plants. It has virtually no odor, no precautions against using it with oil sprays, no dust emissions, and it is cost competitive with sprayable sulfur applications. Sil-MATRIX is registered for use on grapes, fruit and nut trees, vegetables and berries.
Sil-MATRIX employs multiple modes of action. Primarily, when it is sprayed upon plant surfaces, Sil-MATRIX interacts with the plant’s cuticles creating a physical barrier of cuticle and silica that cannot be penetrated by the hyphae of fungal diseases or stylets of soft-bodied insects. The silica in Sil-MATRIX also aids in pest control by desiccating fungal organisms and insect pests.
Sil-MATRIX has little to no impact on beneficial insects. Because it is composed of potassium silicate (which are also the plant nutrients: 8% K2O and 21% SiO2), Sil-MATRIX is helpful to the environment.
For more information about Sil-MATRIX or any of the Certis USA products, call 800-250-5024 or visit www.CertisUSA.com.
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About Certis USA
Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Certis USA is a leading manufacturer, innovative developer, and marketer, of a comprehensive line of distinctive and proven biopesticide products sold in more than 40 countries today for use in specialty agricultural, horticultural and the home and garden markets. Certis USA products provide essential solutions by meeting the challenges faced by today’s growers around the globe. For more information about Certis USA, visit CertisUSA.com and follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
