BOTHELL, Wash. - The Scotts Co. and EDEN Bioscience Corp. recently announced an exclusive global business relationship by which Scotts will evaluate EDEN's harpin protein technology for use in its full range of products for professional horticulture, as well as consumer products for lawn and garden care.
EDEN currently sells this technology in the agricultural market, under the brand name Messenger®.
"We have been conducting trials with Messenger for several months," said Scotts CEO James Hagedorn. "We think this technology may have tremendous potential for both consumer and professional ornamental, lawn and garden markets."
Hagedorn said the partnership could yield product developments with such benefits as healthier lawns, increased blooms on flowers and earlier maturing vegetables.
The agreement grants Scotts exclusive global rights to research the use of harpin technology in the lawn, tree and shrub service markets; the branded plants market; and the worldwide consumer lawn and garden market (including in combination with products such as Miracle-Gro®). The agreement also stipulates that EDEN and Scotts will work together to develop new products to be sold exclusively by Scotts. Separately, EDEN expects to name Scotts a distributor for selling Messenger to the professional horticulture and turf markets. All of the markets combined make up a $7 billion annual business.
"This agreement opens the door for Messenger and EDEN's harpin technology to be introduced to the turf, ornamental and lawn markets by the company with the leading consumer brands," said Jerry Butler, EDEN CEO.
Messenger was developed and brought to the commercial market in the United States by EDEN Bioscience. The product harnesses natural plant defense and growth systems that cause plants to resist attack by diseases and insects and exhibit increased nutrient uptake and photosynthesis.
EDEN said Messenger has been shown to be non-hazardous to humans, animals and the environment. The role of naturally occurring harpin proteins in triggering natural plant defense systems and activating growth systems without altering the plant's DNA was discovered by Zhong-Min Wei, PhD, and colleagues at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., in 1992. Wei is now vice-president for research at EDEN.