Xilon® selected as finalist for best biological product 2020

Vienna, October 7th, 2020 – The internationally renowned magazine Chemical Week has ranked Xilon® from the crop protection product manufacturer Kwizda Agro among the top four biological products worldwide. The crop protection product is thus on the shortlist for Agrow's Crop Science Awards 2020. Xilon® is the first biological soil fungicide with a broad spectrum of activity that is simple to use in a range of arable crops and closes a critical gap in crop protection management. Based on many years of experience in formulation and registration, Kwizda Agro was able to develop the new product based on the licensed active ingredient T34 by Uni-Spin-off Biocontrol Technologies. Xilon® has already received registration in numerous Central and Eastern European countries for use in corn, soybeans and sunflower. With this
biological innovation, the Austrian family company Kwizda Agro is underlining its development expertise on the European market.

Decisive for its ranking on the shortlist for Agrow's Crop Science Awards 2020 is that Xilon® is the only product, which protects crops and their roots from the beginning against primary Sclerotinia infection and other soil-borne diseases. In addition to efficient pathogen control, the product has positive effects on plant health and stress resilience as well as soil vitality.

Xilon® contains the fungal active ingredient Trichoderma asperellum T34, which belongs to a new group of active ingredients. Additionally to the pathogen control, Xilon® strengthens the plant´s immune system protecting against foliar diseases. Xilon® can therefore be used in an integrated spray program in which individual foliar applications are replaced. As the availability of chemical foliar fungicides has steadily decreased over recent years, and resistance management gains importance, Xilon® is an important tool beyond biological agriculture with an optimal fit also for conventional farming.

The biological soil fungicide Xilon® has been registered in various Central European countries including Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia for the control of Sclerotinia in oilseeds as well as Fusarium and mycotoxin reduction in corn. Registrations in further countries are expected in due time. With this, Kwizda Agro underlines its claim to serve future markets with appropriate products, to expand further and to be perceived as a strong and relevant partner for the development and distribution of biological products.

„Xilon® is an innovative crop protection product built on a carefully selected, powerful Trichoderma strain significantly enhanced by an optimized formulation. Thanks to its profile, it fits perfectly with Green Deal requirements. Kwizda Agro actively promotes biological agents for broad acre crops and is positioning itself as a visionary in biological crop protection,“ says the manager of the „New Technologies“ unit, Catalina Bardewyk.

About Kwizda Agro

Kwizda Agro is a leading producer and supplier of chemical and biological crop protection products in Austria. Kwizda Agro is part of the family-run Kwizda Group, with businesses in pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical trade, pharmaceutical services, cosmetics and sealing/roof sheeting. Kwizda Agro has a total of 300 employees, with its headquarters located in Vienna, Austria, distribution sites in Hungary and Romania, and biocide subsidiaries in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The business unit NEW TECHNOLOGY focuses on the development and international distribution of proprietary and innovative biological products for forestry, horticulture and broad acre crops.

About Biocontrol Technologies

Biocontrol Technologies is a spin-off of the University of Barcelona founded in 2005. Biocontrol is a company which researches, develops and offers efficient and sustainable organic solutions to control crop diseases. The products developed by the company are environmentally friendly and contribute to a more sustainable agriculture. The company currently commercializes its products in fifteen countries in three continents. Putting technology at the disposal of agriculture to protect and strengthen crops around the world is Biocontrol’s raison d’être.

For more information of the company visit http://biocontroltech.com/

Inquiry Note:
Kwizda Agro GmbH
Mike Oberbichler
Mail: presse@kwizda.at
Mobile: +43 660 5068 451