For as long as people have been growing food, they’ve been at war with the unwelcome weeds that rob crops of valuable resources. Chemical treatments have helped farmers better control these invaders but over the decades, many of the most noxious weeds have developed ways to survive the assault of herbicides. After more than 1,000 global field and greenhouse trials, “Harpe Bioherbicide” says its plant extract-based herbicides are an effective solution against a broad spectrum of broadleaf and grass weeds and seeds, including the most challenging resistant weeds farmers face.
Losses from weeds account for more than $40 billion in annual revenue for corn and soybean crops in North America alone, according to the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA). Since 1984, herbicide resistant weeds have increased by more than +600% globally and require farmers to increase spending and apply more herbicides than ever before to achieve some level of control. Scientists have now documented more than 500 unique cases of resistant weeds. The resistance is shown to over 160 different herbicides in 94 crops across more than 70 countries.
As most farmers know, the last couple of decades have seen little innovation in herbicide “modes-of-action”, or the overall manner in which a herbicide affects a plant at the tissue or cellular level. Agricultural chemical companies have introduced only a single herbicide with a new mode-of-action since 1984. To be fair, that’s largely due to the time-consuming and expensive nature of research and development, as well as regulatory hurdles.
Harpe Bioherbicide’s solutions use a series of novel plant extracts, including many found in various mint varieties. While some of these extracts at high concentrations can kill weeds and weed seeds, Harpe Bio uses them to actually alter the permeability of plant cells that strips away the weed’s ability to withstand a certain herbicide. When applied in conjunction with herbicide, Harpe Bio’s mint solution essentially restores the utility of the once-tolerated chemicals.
While field and greenhouse tests have demonstrated effectiveness against weeds, Harpe Bio has a lot of fine tuning to do still. The company is currently focusing on expanding US field testing of its stand-alone and pre-mix formulations in 2024. The big challenge will be working out the ideal combinations of Harpe Bio products and herbicides for different resistant weeds.
Harpe Bio is aiming for select market introductions as early as 2026 following planned regulatory submissions. And the regulatory path should be less burdensome than typical crop chemicals. Most of the natural chemicals from the mint plant that Harpe Bio utilizes are already part of the US food system, therefore qualify for a regulatory status known as “GRAS”, or Generally Regarded as Safe. That means they qualify for the EPA’s “reduced risk” regulatory fast-track process that reduces both the time and cost burdens for bringing the technology to market.
The team behind Harpe Bio also has a wealth of agribusiness experience. Harpe CEO Bill Buckner is a former North American president and CEO of Bayer CropScience. Board members include Robert (Robb) Fraley, former Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Monsanto Company, and Dr. Peter Eckes, former CTO of BASF Agricultural Solutions. Learn more at the Harpe Bioherbicide website HERE.
