AMOEBA (EPA:ALMIB) - Amoéba : a 2nd cereal trial campaign confirms the potential of its biocontrol product

Transparency directive : regulatory news

24/08/2021 17:45

PRESS RELEASE

Amoéba : a 2nd cereal trial campaign confirms the potential of its biocontrol
                                     product

Chassieu (France), August 24th, 2021 - 5:45 p.m. - AMOÉBA (FR0011051598 -
ALMIB), producer of a biological biocide capable of eliminating bacterial risk
in water and human wounds, and of a biocontrol product for plant protection,
still in the development phase, announces the results of the 2nd cereal trial
campaign.

After the first conclusive field trials in 2020 (see press release of 22 July
2020), Amoéba carried out a second campaign of agronomic trials in Europe
against cereal diseases in 2021.

About fifteen trials were set up in 3 countries (France, Italy, Germany.) The
main diseases targeted were:

- on wheat: yellow rust, septoria and fusarium head blight.
- on barley: rhynchosporium.

This year's results confirm the efficacy of Amoeba's biocontrol formulations
against the main cereal diseases, the largest fungicide market in Europe. Their
level of performance assessed at this stage against yellow rust in particular,
but also septoria in wheat, is such that it would be possible to partially
replace conventional fungicides at the first treatment, in combination with
moderately susceptible varieties.

"While biocontrol is already well established in specialty crops, such as vines
and vegetables, the search for effective biofungicides in field crops is one of
the major objectives of plant protection in Europe. The results of our first
experimental campaigns are very encouraging: with Amoéba's products, it would
be possible, by combining genetic resistance (choice of tolerant varieties) and
biocontrol, to reduce the use of chemical fungicides on wheat by up to 50%,
while maintaining a perfectly satisfactory level of protection" says Jean Luc
SOUCHE - Business Developer Biocontrol of Amoéba.

1. Climatic context of the 2021 field trials for cereals

The rather cold and dry start of spring was not favourable to the early
development of diseases, in particular septoria and rhynchosporiosis which
require repeated rainfall to develop.

However, significant yellow rust infections were observed in many trials in the
Paris Basin and Northern France.

Later on, heavy rains in mid-June, when the wheat was at the sensitive
flowering stage, caused very important infestations of fusarium head blight, in
particular in our trials, carried out with artificial contamination (spraying
of a spore suspension on the ears).

2. Results of the field trials

Against wheat foliar diseases, three formulations were compared, applied alone
in some trials or positioned as the first treatment of a two-treatment program
(the second being carried out with a conventional fungicide) in another
protocol.

- Septoria was not very present this year, and the available results confirm
  the activity observed in 2020, close to 50%.

- Two trials on barley, with a low level of contamination, showed the same
  level of efficacy (50%) against rhynchosporium, a level never reached by any
  natural product.

- The only trial infested by brown rust saw an explosive development of the
  disease. Situations like this are very unfavourable for biocontrol products
  in general, and the experimental products did not show any activity.

- The results of the wheat yellow rust trials also confirm those of 2020: a
  very clear and regular efficacy is observed, in the range of 40% to 75%. This
  efficacy is generally lower than that of the chemical standard products
  compared, but this level of performance is unmatched for a biocontrol
  product.
  Efficacy is maximised when disease development is not explosive, particularly
  on moderately susceptible varieties.

This effectiveness is also reflected in sometimes spectacular and statistically
significant yield gains: 8.11 MT/ha in a trial where the control reached only
7.06 MT/ha and the standard 7.89 MT/ha, i.e +1 .05 MT (+14.8% increase) for the
experimental product.

The "program" trials were less contaminated, but still show the interest of
Amoeba's biocontrol products in the first treatment.

- Fusarium head blight is a late disease but particularly damaging, firstly
because it causes grain scald (an alteration in ripening) and therefore direct
yield losses, and secondly because the pathogenic fungus also secretes
mycotoxins (e.g deoxynivalenol or DON) that are dangerous to human or animal
health. European legislation sets a maximum deoxynivalenol content, above which
batches cannot be used in human food.

Conventional standard fungicides are not very satisfactory against this
disease, hence the interest in using biocontrol products, especially since for
a late treatment carried out on the ear in flowering, the risk of finding
chemical pesticide residues in the grain is high.

Encouraging results are observed in the particularly extreme conditions of this
year, especially with one of the tested formulations, which in 1 trial has an
efficacy equivalent to that of the reference chemical fungicide, and leads to a
statistically significant yield gain of 8.5% compared to the untreated
control.

These results will naturally be confirmed in 2022.

About AMOEBA:
Amoéba's ambition is to become a major player in the treatment of bacterial
risk in the fields of water, healthcare and plant protection. Our biological
solution is an alternative to chemical products widely used today. Amoéba is
currently focusing on the market of industrial cooling towers estimated at
EUR1.7Bn (1) on a global chemical biocide market for water treatment, evaluated
at EUR21Bn (2) and on the biocontrol market for plant protection estimated
globally at EUR1.6Bn (4). In the future, the Company is looking at developing
new applications such as chronic wound care, estimated at EUR 751 million (3)
in the USA. Sales of associated products with healthcare, biocides and crop
protection are subject to the Company being granted local regulatory market
authorizations. The Company is currently in a trial phase for biocidal and
plant protection applications and does not market any products.

Created in 2010, based in Chassieu (Lyon, France) with a subsidiary in Canada
and in the United States, Amoéba is quoted on Euronext Growth. The Company is
a member of the BPIfrance Excellence network and is eligible for the PEA-PME
SME equity savings plan setup. More information on www.amoeba-nature.com.

(1) : Amoéba data combined from sources: DRIRE 2013, Eurostat, ARHIA 2013
(2) : Sources combined by Amoéba from water treaters, Freedonia, Eurostat et
MarketsandMarkets
(3): BCC Research, "Markets for Advanced Wound Management Technologies,"
Wellesley, MA, 2017
(4): Biopesticides Worldwide Market 2013, CPL, Wallingford, UK

Contacts: Amoéba
Valérie FILIATRE
Directeur Général Adjoint
+33 4 26 69 16 00
v.filiatre@amoeba-nature.com

Calyptus
Relations investisseurs & Presse
Grégory BOSSON / Mathieu CALLEUX
+33 1 53 65 37 90 /91
amoeba@calyptus.net

Disclaimer
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning
AMOEBA which are based on its own assumptions and hypothesis and on information
that are available to us. However, AMOEBA gives no assurance that the estimates
contained in such forward-looking statements will be verified, which estimates
are subject to numerous risks including the risks set forth in the Universal
Registration Document of AMOEBA filed with the French Financial Markets
Authority (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) on April 12, 2021 under number
D21-0289 (a copy of which is available on www.amoeba-nature.com). The
forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to
risks not yet known to AMOEBA or not currently considered material by AMOEBA.
The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results,
financial conditions, performance or achievements of AMOEBA to be materially
different from such forward-looking statements.

Adresse : 38 Avenue des Frères Montgolfier, 69680 CHASSIEU
Société Anonyme au capital de 341 109,20 EUR
RCS Lyon 523 877 215

Tel: +33 (0)4 26 69 16 00 - Email: contact@amoeba-nature.com
Linkedin: @amoeba-nature - Twitter: @AmoebaNature
www.amoeba-nature.com

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AMOEBA (EPA:ALMIB) - Amoéba : a 2nd cereal trial campaign confirms the potential of its biocontrol product

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