Key Takeaways:
- Leadership Appointment: Dr. Peter Eckes, with extensive experience in agricultural R&D at BASF, has been appointed as the board chairperson of Harpe Bioherbicide Solutions, Inc.
- Company Goals: Under Dr. Eckes’ leadership, Harpe aims to advance its development of natural weed control technologies.
- Innovation Focus: The company will continue to enhance its bioherbicide product line, targeting effectiveness and sustainability.
- Industry Engagement: Harpe will participate in the BioAgTech World Congress in Raleigh, where it is a candidate for the BioAgTech Innovator Award.
- Advisory Leadership: Dr. Eckes will also chair the company’s scientific advisory committee, emphasizing rigorous scientific evaluation and innovation.
Enhanced Leadership for Strategic Growth
Harpe Bioherbicide Solutions, Inc., which specializes in natural and sustainable herbicide solutions, announced the appointment of Dr. Peter Eckes, a former President of BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division, as its new board chairperson. This strategic update aims to bolster the company’s innovative capabilities in developing effective, environmentally friendly weed management solutions.
Background and Strategic Vision of Dr. Eckes
Dr. Eckes brings a robust background in crop protection, seed and trait R&D, and regulatory affairs, having shaped these areas at BASF. His appointment is expected to strengthen Harpe’s focus on integrating sustainability with agricultural productivity.
Bill Buckner, CEO of Harpe Bioherbicide, commented on the appointment, “We’re thrilled to bring Peter’s vast, global experience and his commitment to innovation to our team. His expertise will be pivotal in driving our mission forward, particularly in developing new, natural weed control options that are effective and sustainable for both farmers and consumers.”
Dr. Eckes also shared his perspective: “Harpe has a compelling value proposition that aligns well with the current needs for sustainable agricultural practices. I am excited to help steer the company towards its goals of innovating natural herbicide solutions that meet the critical needs of modern agriculture and consumer preferences for natural products.”
Continued Innovation and Industry Collaboration
Under Dr. Eckes’ leadership, Harpe is set to expand its product offerings with new formulations that cater to organic and conventional agricultural practices alike. These products aim to provide farmers with more tools to manage weeds effectively, especially those resistant to traditional chemical herbicides.
The company’s scientific advisory committee, now led by Dr. Eckes, includes prominent figures such as Adrian Percy, Executive Director of the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative, Stephen Powles, a Professor at the University of Western Australia, and Wesley Everman, an Associate Professor at North Carolina State University. This committee is crucial in guiding Harpe’s R&D strategies towards scientifically validated and commercially viable products.
Harpe Bioherbicide Latest News
Unveils Groundbreaking Plant Extract-Based Herbicides in Over 1,000 Trials Worldwide (2024/03/13)
Harpe Bioherbicide Solutions has developed an innovative solution for the agriculture industry’s challenge of increasing herbicide resistance among weeds. The company’s use of plant extract-based herbicides has shown remarkable effectiveness in controlling a broad spectrum of resistant weeds, leading to a new era in crop management. Harpe’s approach has been recognized with a US patent, and the company plans to expand its field testing in 2024 with the aim of introducing its products to the market by 2026.
Partners with Corteva Agriscience and Broad Institute (2023/09/26)
Harpe Bioherbicide Solutions has partnered with Corteva Agriscience and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to develop crops that are tolerant to Harpe Bioherbicide applications using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. This will expand and differentiate weed control solutions, increasing the technology’s commercial viability. The company’s bioherbicide products work as both pre-emergent weed prevention and post-emergent weed control, providing versatile and sustainable weed control solutions. Harpe is collaborating with Solis Agrosciences to accelerate the development of herbicide-tolerant crop systems.
Awarded NSF Grant (2023/07/19)
Harpe Bioherbicide Solutions, an agricultural technology company dedicated to providing natural and sustainable herbicide solutions, has recently been granted funding by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). This grant will support their research efforts in developing bioherbicide formulations derived from natural plant extracts to control weeds that have become resistant to synthetic herbicides.
Raises $10.5M For Sustainable Herbicide Solutions (2023/04/19)
Harpe Bioherbicide Solutions, a North Carolina-based agricultural technology company, has announced a successful $10.5 million funding round led by ADM. The oversubscribed round also saw follow-on investments from iSelect Fund Management, Alexandria Investment Ventures, private agricultural industry investors, and company leadership. The funds will continue research and development into Harpe’s portfolio of natural and sustainable herbicide formulations that use active ingredient compounds in plant extracts. The financing also supports the development of Harpe herbicide-tolerant row crop systems, which will expand and strengthen the company’s intellectual property portfolio.
Photo by Riccardo Atrot on Unsplash
