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MustGrow Announces Collaborative Tobacco "Crop Protection" Program Funded by Canadian Tobacco Research Foundation
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan--(Newsfile Corp. - June 3, 2020) - MustGrow Biologics Corp. (CSE: ...
About this update from Mustgrow Biologics Corp.
[{"type":"text","content":"MustGrow Announces Collaborative Tobacco \"Crop Protection\" Program Funded by Canadian Tobacco Research FoundationSaskatoon, Saskatchewan--(Newsfile Corp. - June 3, 2020) - MustGrow Biologics Corp. (CSE: MGRO) (OTC: MGROF) (the \"Company\", \"MustGrow\"), an agricultural biotech company developing and commercializing a portfolio of natural, science-based biological crop protection products, is pleased to announce the commencement of a tobacco crop protection research program funded by the Canadian Tobacco Research Foundation to target tobacco cyst nematodes and root-lesion nematodes (\"Nematodes\"). Nematodes are parasitic worms that infect a tobacco plant's root system which reduces water and nutrients movement into the plant, resulting in immature plants and lower yields. Yield-destruction from Nematodes has been reported from eleven tobacco-producing countries on four continents, including the United States and Canada(1). Despite extensive synthetic chemical pesticide use to combat this parasite, Nematodes continue to cause damage to global tobacco farming, a global industry size estimated at US$28 billion (US$1.1 billion in the United States)(2). The global tobacco crop loss from Nematode damage is estimated at US$4.2 billion, or 15%(3), resulting in an estimated loss in infected fields of US$1,000 per acre(4). Several of these harmful synthetic chemicals are being banned or deregistered, leaving tobacco farmers with limited viable crop protection options. A collaborative research program is now underway with the Canadian Tobacco Research Foundation (CTRF) to build on MustGrow's encouraging scientific achievements outlined below and to advance corporate collaboration discussions with tobacco industry leaders. The inclusion of Altria Group veteran Brian Quigley on MustGrow's board of directors, illustrates MustGrow's conviction in this opportunity. The CTRF is evaluating MustGrow as both pre-planting and post-planting applications. The study will target tobacco cyst nematodes after hatching which is stimulated by exudates (secreted fluid) that are only present when tobacco is planted. The post-planting application will be applied by banding with immediate soil incorporation. Based on third party studies, MustGrow's patented mustard-derived bio-pesticide has demonstrated 100% control of soil-borne diseases and pathogens inclu...