The following are testimonials from greenhouse growers, field growers, university professors, and crop consultants regarding their experience with AgriPhage in reducing bacteria and increasing yield. We welcome your comments, too.

January, 2006
Patrick Mobley
Mobley Greenhouses, Moultrie, GA

“We became aware of AgriPhage in 1997. We had been using standard copper applications and clearing practices to keep bacteria in control. We tried AgriPhage in a few of our houses, and felt like we finally had a good alternative to copper that was safe and effective. We began using AgriPhage as a preventive in 1998, and have been pleased overall with the amount of control we’ve been able to obtain.

Bacteria pressure varies between seasons, but by applying AgriPhage as a preventive, we are able to keep bacteria in check, so that if a flare-up occurs, the damage is minimized. If we do see bacteria, we send a plant sample to OmniLytics. If there are changes in the bacteria compared to the last sample we sent, they will send us a new AgriPhage formula. This way, we never have to worry about bacterial resistance.

Many of our customers in the area, including our own field operation, have begun using AgriPhage in the fields, and have seen positive results controlling bacteria in the fields.

I’m confident that you will be pleased with the results of AgriPhage as a great alternative for controlling bacteria in the greenhouse or field.”

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January, 2006
Jamie Boatwright
Boatwright Farm, Steele, AL

“We started using AgriPhage in the summer of 2004. We had been using standard copper treatments once a week. At times, this was harsh on the plants, especially when they were setting blooms.

With AgriPhage, I have had clean plants, and have used almost no copper. This has allowed the tomato plants to set more fruit and has given me an increase in yield. Additionally, for some reason, I have had fewer spider mite problems as well.

I would encourage any tomato or pepper grower to take a serious look at AgriPhage for a better, environmental-friendly way to control bacteria.”

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January, 2006
Will Maxwell
Maxwell & Suber Farms, Quincy, FL

“In Spring 2005, we decided to use AgriPhage as a preventive. We gave OmniLytics our planting schedule, and they shipped us out the product we needed each week. We sent them plant samples every 2 or 3 weeks. If anything changed in the bacteria, they sent us a new formula in the next weekly shipment.

One of the key benefits that AgriPhage has is that it is natural and safe to the plants. Copper is pretty harsh on our plants, and can reduce yield by stunting growth and knocking off blooms. In the Spring season, we didn’t use any copper at all, and in the fall, we only used it twice, due to some hurricane pressure. AgriPhage can’t damage the plants, so when bacterial pressure was heavy, we went out with a higher rate, or went out a couple times each week, instead of the standard once per week, and maintained control of the bacteria.”

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January, 2006
Buford Creech, CCA-TSP
Southeast Ag. & Turf, Inc.

"Southeast Ag. & Turf has been providing crop management expertise for over 12
years in Florida. We were one of the first groups to try AgriPhage. We have recommended AgriPhage use for the past seven years to vegetable clients. We consult with many growers covering several thousand acres in the Southeast.

When a grower uses AgriPhage correctly, it can help reduce severity of bacterial leaf spot and speck in tomato, and bacterial spot in pepper.

CORRECT AGRIPHAGE USE
Application of AgriPhage early in the season (including daily application to transplants in the greenhouse), weekly AgriPhage application in the field (under severe infection conditions, use twice weekly), taking weekly tissue samples for OmniLytics testing, and using sound agronomic programs and effective IPM. This will enhance crop health and vigor, and result in less bacterial spot and/or speck problems.

Maximized effective control of bacterial spot and speck is achieved by early and regular AgriPhage use, weekly plant testing with OmniLytics, and a sound Agronomics/IPM program.

AgriPhage is a sound technology that can help keep bacteria spot and speck in check. The formula is modified as weekly lab testing by OmniLytics dictates with additional and/or different phages.

By reducing the severity of diseases such as bacterial spot and speck, yield and crop quality can be improved."

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January, 2006
Neal Kicklighter
Lewis Taylor Farms, Tifton, GA

“In Fall of 2005, Lewis Taylor Farms performed a greenhouse trial in cooperation with Dr. David Langston of the University of GA, in order to determine the effectiveness of various bacteria control products on pepper. He tested 8 different products, with one control.

[Results] clearly shows that AgriPhage is an effective bacteria control for bacteria that is sensitive to copper. Based on feedback from various universities throughout the east, it is estimated that more than 70% of the bacteria causing spot in tomato and pepper is resistant to copper treatments. This concludes that AgriPhage is the most-effective bacteria control product available, especially for copper-resistant strains of bacteria.”

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August 27, 2004
Dr. Tim Momol
Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida

When discussing the active ingredient in AgriPhage, Dr. Momol stated: "... bacteriophages are organisms that are already present in the environment, so there appears to be no environmental risk,” said Tim Momol, an associate professor of plant pathology at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “They also seem to work better than the standards growers are using against tomato bacterial spot.”

Note: Originally published by the University of Florida.

August 27, 2004
Tommy Smith
Owner, Tommy Smith Farms

"Quincy-based tomato grower Tommy Smith said he has seen “very positive results” after trying [AgriPhage] on a field where tomato bacterial spot had made an appearance... We had some really amazing results in terms of stopping the spread of the bacteria and bringing down bacteria levels on the whole field,” he said. “I was extremely impressed.”

Note: Originally published by the University of Florida.

February 19, 2003
Dr. Jeffrey B. Jones
Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida

“We conclusively demonstrated in greenhouse and field tests that applications of AgriPhage outperformed the standard bactericides (i.e., various copper formulations) in controlling bacterial spot of tomato and furthermore resulted in significantly greater fruit yields than the untreated control and the copper-treated plants.”

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March 22, 1997
Richard E. Barrett, PhD
General Manager, Plants of Ruskin, Inc.

“[AgriPhage] first came to my attention in August of 1995, when I was dumping tens of thousand of tomato transplants, daily, that had succumbed overnight to the newest and most virulent “T-3”race of the bacterial leaf spot pathogen. The disease spread like wildfire, vectored by our greenhouse-industry-standard, overhead, traveling irrigation booms.

No amount of copper-based or streptomycin-based bactericide was effective in even slowing the spread of the disease. Whole greenhouses (14,000-square-foot structure containing nearly 600,000 plants each) were daily succumbing to the ravages of the pathogen. Sanitization of the greenhouses between crops through a combination of solarization of closed houses, drenching with a bromine-based germicide, and other strict sanitation measures was ineffective in preventing re-infection of new crops.

We halted the disease only by placing new tomato transplant production into a remote section of our greenhouse ranges, during the concluding weeks of the Florida fall crop season.

[OmniLytics] heard of our plight and expressed interest. I invited [OmniLytics] to visit our nursery. From that meeting, we formed a cooperative relationship such that we were able to obtain a supply of [AgriPhage] for experimental use in 1996. It was the first year in nearly 15 years that we were free of bacterial leaf spot.

The product does not simply “work.” It is highly effective in both preventing and eradicating all know races of the bacterial leaf spot organism! Yet, we have found it to be environmentally friendly; a safe and easy-to-use, true biocide that targets only those detrimental bacteria responsible for the plant pathogen for which it is formulated.”

January 15, 2002
Carl Bergschneider
General Manager, Plants of Ruskin, Inc.

“In 1997 I was told about Agriphage. At that time I was production manager for a vegetable greenhouse company with 777,600 sq. ft. of production space. We started using Agriphage on our pepper and tomato plants. From the time we started using Agriphage we saw a complete turn around in bacterial control. There were a few minor instances of bacteria problems. These were small area’s in varieties known to have bacteria problems. The major thing was that these area’s were confined to a handful of plants, and did not spread. This was the first time in my career that I could feel confident about controlling bacteria.”

January 15, 2002
Noel curry farms

"We have used phage to combat bacterial leaf spot in chille pepper… it seems to help a lot. In the crop year of 2000 we had a lot of rain and leaf spot was really bad. It looks like it helped to keep the leaf spot from spreading. I believe it is a good product and will continue to use it. […] I believe this is a good method because it only attacks the bacteria that is giving the problem. It is safe to use for the handler. I recommend the use of it to anyone with this problem."

January 15, 2002
Tim O’Rourke
Production Manager, LaBelle Plant World, Inc.

“We have been using AgriPhage (tomato strain) successfully for almost two years. We use it daily in our irrigation water as a topical treatment on our tomato transplants. It is used to control the pathogen Bacterial Leafspot, Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. This devastating disease is ever present in Florida and a constant threat to tomato production in our state. Starting a crop with bacteria free plants is a must for a successful tomato crop.

We have an integrated approach in controlling Bacterial Leafspot with the use of disease-free seed, tray sterilization, aggressive greenhouse sanitation, modified irrigation practices, daily AgriPhage and a preventative spray program. However, AgriPhage is the cornerstone of our control program. It has kept us relatively bacteria free even in the most threatening time of year, summer and fall. We still experience spot outbreaks of bacteria but at a much-lessened degree thanks to AgriPhage. We will continue to use this product for the foreseeable future.”

March 24, 1997
Scott Peterson
General Manager, Johnson Plants, Inc.

“[AgriPhage] appears to be the answer to agriculturists’ and environmentalists’ dreams. A safe, biologically based material that is far more effective and benign than existing controls. Even if only labeled for planthouse use, this product would have a profound effect on Florida agriculture, especially fresh market tomato production.”