Certis Biologicals elevates Riley to lead U.S.-based sales efforts

Tim Riley
Tim Riley

Certis Biologicals recently announced that veteran sales leader Tim Riley has been tapped to helm the company’s U.S.-based sales team as national sales director for U.S. ag business, according to a news release.

Riley joined Certis Biologicals in 2020 as key account manager, supporting the company’s business partnerships with distribution leaders. As national sales director, he will continue those efforts by managing the company’s nationwide team of sales managers and key accounts.

“Throughout his career and his tenure at Certis Biologicals, Tim has proven himself a valuable leader with extensive knowledge of bringing products to the markets that need them,” said Amy O’Shea, president and CEO. “This leadership will strengthen our U.S. ag market and allow us to serve growers in effectively putting biologicals to work for their operations.”

Riley has extensive experience as a sales and marketing leader in the agriculture space across ag-chem, seed, equipment and animal health markets with companies such as Amvac Chemical, American Cyanamid, CDMS (Crop Data Management Systems) and Caterpillar Inc.

“Certis Biologicals’ experienced sales team is the tip of the spear in bringing our biological solutions to growers so that they can utilize their power to protect crops and their investments year after year,” said Riley. “The relationships that they build with U.S. growers and our distribution partners are integral to the growth of Certis and to the agriculture industry as a whole. I am proud to work with our team to enhance those relationships well into the future.”

For more information, go to: CertisBio.com.

SePRO’s Brake On! herbicide ready for markets this spring

Brake On! research trials on first-leaf cherries. (Courtesy SePRO)
Brake On! research trials on first-leaf cherries. (Courtesy SePRO)

SePRO’s Brake On! preemergence residual herbicide, which helps with the control of annual grasses and broadleaf weeds in permanent crops, is expected to receive a label expansion for pome fruit and other permanent crops early this year, according to a news release.

“Producers should be aware that Brake On! is an effective herbicide with an excellent crop safety profile, important for cherries and young trees,” said Jeff Perrotti, Pacific Northwest technical specialist for SePRO.

The active ingredient in Brake On!, which was released in early 2021, is fluridone, an HRAC Group 12 herbicide that provides a unique mode of action relative to other residual herbicides in crops, including stone fruit, avocado, mandarin, pistachio and pomegranate. Brake On! inhibits phytoene desaturase (PDS), an enzyme necessary for carotenoid biosynthesis. As Brake On! is taken up by the roots and readily translocated, it is ideally suited for preemergence use against a wide spectrum of annual grasses and broadleaf weeds, including weeds that have developed resistance to other herbicides. Brake On! delivers broad-spectrum, season-long weed control, even in wet or irrigated conditions.

Research in permanent crops demonstrates outstanding crop safety, even on young trees, which is critical in high-value permanent crop production. No residues have been found in any crop tested, according to the release.

For more information, go to: ag.sepro.com/brake-on.