Pond Technologies

Bee Vectoring Technologies International Announces Significant Advancements in Soybean Seed Treatment and Interest with Major Agricultural-Inputs Companies

09 March 2022

Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (CSE: BEE) (OTCQB: BEVVF) (CVE:BEE) (the "Company" or "BVT") today announced positive results in the progress of its proprietary biological control agent Clonostachys rosea strain CR-7 ("CR-7") in the seed treatment market - a significant new revenue opportunity for the Company. The BVT trials conducted in 2021 were built on the positive results from the proof-of-concept work done in 2020 in both the US and Switzerland.

"This marks the first data we have for CR-7 on a major row crop such as soybeans," said Ashish Malik, CEO of BVT. "This is the type of crop that gets the attention of the major global multinationals, and we have generated interest from as many as eight companies to whom we presented our results from the 2021 work. One of them is conducting their own independent trials as well."

In the 2021 trials, soybean seeds were treated with CR-7 together with, and in comparison to, other seed treatment products before they were planted. The purpose of the seed treatment application is to help the seed and the germinating plant fight various soil pests and diseases, and to help with the emergence and vigor of the plant in its early stages, allowing the crop to better reach its genetic potential for yield. The advantage of this approach is precision: unlike foliar sprays, seed treatments get 100% of the product on the plant, and in some cases, impart properties that benefit the plant throughout the growing season.

BVT conducted seed treatment trials with well-established soybean researchers in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, with very positive results. When CR-7 was added over the base seed treatment, it resulted in healthier plants during the vegetative stages when the plants are growing leaves, stems and roots to accumulate the resources they will need for the flowering and reproductive stages. During this stage, plants with the CR-7 treatment had on average 36% greater below-ground fresh biomass (a measure indicating the strength of the plant's root system) and 16% greater above-ground fresh biomass (a measure indicating the amount of tissue in stems and leaves) over the base seed treatment.

In addition, the trials showed CR-7 to be an effective treatment against Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), a huge disease problem for soybean growers. Caused by the soil-borne pathogen, Fusarium virguliforme, that attacks roots and the lower stem of the plant, the disease affects flowers and young pods, resulting in significant loss in crop yield. The results showed CR-7 to have equivalent control of SDS to current industry standards for both chemical and biological products. BVT will continue with further work in seed treatment in 2022, including with a second year of field trials.

Soybeans represent a significant market opportunity for BVT. There are 320 million acres planted worldwide, with 86 million in the US, 98 million in Brazil and 40 million in Argentina.(1) BVT estimates about 80% of the soybeans in the US get a seed treatment before planting, including about 50% which get a biological inoculant treatment.

The seed treatment market is a specialized one with different channels in the major growing regions, where things like understanding the genetics of the seed varieties and relationships to the seed companies is important. It is a market which BVT intends to be a technology provider for partners to develop.

"These are great results after the first year which allow us to talk to potential partners who are looking to differentiate their portfolio offerings in soybeans, one of the major worldwide crops" added Mr. Malik. "We have shown two different ways to bring value to such a portfolio - as a way to enhance yields in combination with current soybean inoculants, and to control SDS disease. Through a future licensing agreement, BVT could potentially reap significant annual royalties from this application. This is an exciting development for the Company."

(1) Source: USDA, World Agricultural Production, 2022

About Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc

BVT, an agriculture technology company, is a market disruptor with a significant global market opportunity in the $240 billion crop protection and fertilizer market. BVT has pioneered a natural precision agriculture system that replaces chemical pesticides and wasteful plant protection product spray applications by delivering biological pesticide alternatives to crops using commercially grown bees. BVT's award-winning technology, precision vectoring, is completely harmless to bees and allows minute amounts of naturally-derived pesticides (called biologicals) to be delivered directly to blooms, providing improved crop protection and yield results than traditional chemical pesticides - and improving the health of the soil, the microbiome and the environment. Currently, BVT has over 65 granted patents, over 35 patents pending in all major agricultural countries worldwide and has US EPA registration of its Vectorite™ with CR-7 (EPA Registration No. 90641-2) for sale as a registered biological fungicide for use on the labeled crops.

Additional information can be viewed at the Company's website www.beevt.com. To receive regular news updates from the Company, subscribe at www.beevt.com/newsletter.

Company Contact:
Ashish Malik, President & CEO
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Investor Contact:
Babak Pedram, Investor Relations
Virtus Advisory Group
Tel: 416-995-8651
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The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, "annual revenue potential", are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Company's current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including: planted acres, selling price of competitive chemical pesticides and the US to Canadian dollar exchange rate. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. These factors include changes in law, competition, litigation, the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities, state of the capital markets, the availability of funds and resources to pursue operations, new technologies, the ability to protect intellectual property rights, the ability to obtain patent protection for products, third-party intellectual property infringement claims, regulatory changes affecting products, failing research and development activities, the ability to reach and sustain profitability, dependence on business and technical experts, the ability to effectively manage business operations and growth, issuance of debt, dilution of existing securities, volatility of publicly traded securities, potential conflicts of interest, unlikelihood of dividend payments, the potential costs stemming from defending third-party intellectual property infringement claims, the ability to secure relationships with manufacturers and purchasers, as well as general economic, market and business conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Filing Statement dated August 14,2020, filed with the CSE and securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law. All figures are in Canadian dollars.

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