Seed Today

Date Posted: December 2, 2008

Valent is introducing NipsIt INSIDE™ and Belay™ insecticides in conjunction with its new Seed Protection Unit

Walnut Creek, CA (December 1, 2008) -- Valent U.S.A. Corporation announced the introduction of two new insecticides from its recently established Seed Protection Business Unit.

The new products—NipsIt INSIDE™ Insecticide and Belay™ Insecticide seed protection—both feature the active ingredient clothianidin, an insecticide discovered and commercialized by Takeda Chemical’s agrochemical business, now part of Valent’s parent company, Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd.

The new products are:

• NipsIt INSIDE: for use as seed protection on sorghum, canola, rapeseed and sugar beets. NipsIt INSIDE provides long-lasting, broad spectrum protection against insect pests with excellent seed safety. NipsIt INSIDE is currently registered for use on sorghum; additional crop registrations are expected in 2009.

• Belay Insecticide: for use as potato seed-piece protection prior to planting. Belay protects crops against such key potato pests as Colorado potato beetle and aphids. It has three uses on one label: seed-piece, soil and foliar uses. Belay currently is registered in most potato growing states.

“We are excited to move seed protection to a new level with innovative products,” said Glen Karaffa, Valent Seed Protection business manager. “Our approach to the market and our new chemistry will provide seed protection options not yet seen in this segment. This new endeavor makes us very excited about the future possibilities and what important tools we can bring today’s farmers and retailers.”

To support their seed protection efforts, Valent has assembled a strong team of professionals who have been among the pioneers and leaders in the seed protection industry.

“Our entry into this segment has been deliberate and well-planned,” Karaffa said. “We have built a group of seasoned professionals who will bring Valent’s customer-focused approach to this industry. We feel confident in launching these two products and look forward to the additional products we have in development.”

Valent’s Seed Protection Team

With support from a strong team of technical and regulatory seed protection experts, Glen Karaffa and Karen Arthur will lead the strategic direction of Valent’s Seed Protection Business Unit:

Glen Karaffa joined Valent in July 2008 as Seed Protection Business Manager. Karaffa came to Valent with more than 30 years of seed treatment experience from Gustafson and Bayer CropScience. He started his career as a technical sales representative and has held various positions throughout his career.

Most recently, he was senior seed treatment crop marketing manager at Bayer CropScience, responsible for many crops and seed treatment products, with experience with all crops.

Karen Arthur joined Valent in July 2005 and was recently promoted to Research & Development Manager for seed protection. Arthur has 24 years experience in seed protection with Valent and Gustafson, serving in various research positions involving screening and development of fungicides, insecticides, plant growth regulators and biocontrol agents for seed protection use.

Arthur has a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and a master’s degree of agriculture in plant protection from Texas A&M University.

For more information about Valent U.S.A. Corporation or Valent's full product line, call 800-6-VALENT (682-5368), or visit the Valent Web site at www.valent.com .

NipsIt INSIDE is a trademark of Valent U.S.A. Corporation. Belay is a trademark of Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited.