Biological products provider Plant Health Care has unveiled striking results relating to its Harpin seed trials.

In a trading update providing details of its Harpin field trials, the group stated that the Harpin seed treatment had delivered substantial yield increases when combined with industry standard seed treatments in corn, soybeans and wheat.

Soybean treated with Harpin in addition to other products produced an additional two bushels per acre, the group reported. It stated that this was equivalent to an uplift in yield of approximately 3.5%, worth $25 per acre at current market prices. The group stated that this indicated an eight:one return on US farmers' investment in Harpin.

In corn, the use of Harpin increased yields over base insecticide and fungicide treatments by 18.6 bushels per acre, offering potential incremental revenue of $111 per acre.

In wheat, the use of Harpin added 2.8 bushels per acre in average yield beyond that achieved from a treatment consisting of only insecticide and fungicide. This would equate to additional revenue of $23 per acre.

The field trials were conducted as part of Direct Enterprise Inc.'s annual comprehensive seed treatment study and involved evaluation by independent contract researchers across 14 states, Plant Health Care stated, using the Random Complete Block design, with three replications per treatment at each location.

John Brady, Chief Executive Officer of Plant Health Care, said: "These results clearly demonstrate that Harpin delivers an incremental yield beyond that which can be achieved using other market-leading treatments.

"We are very pleased with the corn and wheat data that came through the expanded 2012 testing program, while acknowledging that the corn results are extremely favourable as a consequence of the severe drought conditions experienced across much of the Midwest.

"While we're aware of the favourable effects that harpin can deliver in the presence of drought, we realize that similar conditions aren't likely to occur every year, and that the yield gains in corn will, under normal growing conditions, likely drop back into the three to five percent range that's consistent with what was seen in soybeans and wheat.

MF

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