Plant Impact Share Discussion Threads

[here and there] 31/10/2014 08:53

Interesting reading about its application. Looks like being a 'niche' product from this report but I can't see it being used in huge volumes; Still, should provide some added revenue

[wan] 31/10/2014 08:24

iNTrench used as part of balanced agronomy strategy to improve golf greens -

Stress like there’s been on the 17th green means disease follows as sure as night follows day, Fusarium the ‘leader of the pack’. For this, Allan’s new sprayer has been at work applying the preventative fungicide Astute from Sherriff Amenity. He’s also needed to reduce nitrogen levels on the 17th and other greens while the locked-up nutrients are being released. Another Sherriff Amenity product In Trench is helping him here. The product stimulates root growth and thicker stems giving a dense, green grass without causing a leaf growth. It can be used within a range of application rates. In Adam’s words “you can use it at lower rates, so reducing nitrogen inputs, without compromising results.”


iNTrench Calcium
iNTrench is an innovative controlled uptake nitrogen fertiliser designed specifically for the needs of professional sports turf.


iNTrench Potassium
iNTrench is an innovative controlled uptake nitrogen fertiliser that can be applied at two thirds of the rate of conventional slow release fertilisers.

[wan] 30/10/2014 07:18

A couple of excerpts from Bayer's 3rd Quarter

Thursday, October 30, 2014de-DE
Third quarter of 2014:

Bayer operationally strong – strategic focus on Life Science businesses

Leverkusen, October 30, 2014 – The Bayer Group continued its successful business development. “The strong upward trend in the Life Science businesses – HealthCare and CropScience – persisted in the third quarter.

Strategic focus on Life Science businesses

Dekkers said Bayer was not only operationally successful in the third quarter, explaining that the company has also set the course for the Group to focus entirely on the Life Science businesses – HealthCare and CropScience.

Forecast for 2014 raised
Bayer is raising its guidance for CropScience in light of the encouraging business development. The subgroup now expects to increase sales by about 10 percent (previously: a high-single-digit percentage) after adjusting for currency and portfolio effects, and thus to grow significantly faster than the market.

Full release -

[labatie] 28/10/2014 10:33

Wan

Interestingly, the BBC farming programme this morning had an interview with a Dutch potato farmer who, working with a group of scientists, has bred, or is at any rate growing, a potato which actually thrives when watered with salt water.
From what he said it wasn't simply sea water.

He has apparently harvested 50 tons this year.

It's good to see PIM really beginning to move forward after such a long period of promise and setback. Good on the new team, and good luck to all holders.

[here and there] 28/10/2014 09:16

previous plant impact trials with CST have produced the following,(this from a feb 2010 update)

"CST (Cocoa Stress Treatment) is now undergoing commercialisation in West Africa. CST is based on
a combination of two of Plant Impact’s technologies and allows cocoa plants to increase yield in the
presence of disease and in poor growing conditions.
Plant Impact is dealing with two distributors based in Hamburg, Germany. DVA are currently managing a two year trial
programme in Ghana through CRIG, a Government research organisation. Vink & Co have their own company WACOT (West
Africa Cotton) based in Nigeria. Although trials are still ongoing in Nigeria, Vink and Co are selling CST as Wacot Bounty and
their order quantities have doubled since April 2009.
Cocoa trials in Costa Rica and Nigeria have shown that CST can improve
marketable crop yields when the plant is under stress and fungal attack.
In Costa Rica CABI Bioscience conducted a 3 year trial; the average yield
increase over that period exceeded 60% with a positive impact on the
quality of the cocoa beans. Over 2 seasons, initial trial results from
Nigeria show an average 200% yield increase.
West Africa accounts for 68% of total world cocoa production. The main
West African producing countries are Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) (37%),
Ghana (21%), Cameroon (5%) and Nigeria (5%). We are currently talking
to a potential distributor for the Cote d’Ivoire.
The global demand for cocoa is large and growing. About 90% of current volume is produced by
smallholder farmers. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are running a West African Cocoa
Livelihoods Programme in order to improve conditions for these cocoa farmers. CST by
increasing yields can make a positive contribution to the cocoa growing communities in West
Africa and also help alleviate poverty'

[coincall] 28/10/2014 08:48

Time to stop using NPK and go back to using the real stuff like they did years ago. Time to listen to Lester Brown, Alan Savory and many others trying to improve the way we use the land.

[wan] 28/10/2014 08:13

Still analysing a few aspects.

I note the previous 2010 evaluation, development and distribution agreement with Arysta, although I am not sure if, or to what degree that agreement has since been amended, but I note there were significant milestones attached and I note the following -

From the 2013 Results -
significantly progressed our development of our Alethea technology to alleviate the effects of saline soil toxicity

From the 2014 Results -
Alethea(R), a patented combination of three chemical additives, which when combined with selected micronutrients, produces an anti-stress response in crops. The Group is currently developing a series of products using this technology for application in world crops such as soy and wheat. In addition, the Group has a pilot commercial programme with Arysta LifeScience in cocoa.

A commercial pilot in cocoa is certainly a positive.

Here is one of the big problems Alethea is looking to address -

Earth’s Soil Is Getting Too Salty for Crops to Grow

Buildup of salts on irrigated land has already degraded an area the size of France and is causing $27.3 billion annually in lost crops

By Sarah Zielinski
smithsonian.com
2 hours ago

In the upcoming film Interstellar, Earth’s soil has become so degraded that only corn will grow, driving humans to travel through a wormhole in search of a planet with land fertile enough for other crops. In the real world things aren’t quite so dire, but degraded soil is a big problem—and one that could be getting worse. According to a new estimate, one factor, the buildup of salt in soil, causes some $27.3 billion annually in lost crop production.

On a cautiously hopeful note, Qadir adds that the issue is reaching the ears of policy makers: “Amid food security concerns, scarcity of new productive land close to irrigated areas and continued salt-induced land degradation have put productivity enhancement of salt-affected lands back on the political agenda,” he says. “These lands are a valuable resource that cannot be neglected.”

Full story -

[timbo003] 28/10/2014 07:32

A bit of coverage here for what its worth:





Significant upside’ for Plant Impact next year


Plant Impact (PIM), which develops technology to increase crop capacity, is expected to deliver ‘substantial growth’ in the first half of 2015.

Peel Hunt analyst Charles Hall reiterated his ‘buy’ recommendation and target price of 50p on the shares after full-year 2014 results. The shares rose 1.7% to 29.5p in yesterday’s trading.

‘Final results were as expected with turnover doubling, largely due to initial sales of the company’s crop enhancement product for soy in Brazil,’ he said. ‘The company subsequently signed a long-term contract with Bayer CropScience, which should result in a substantial increase in sales in H1 and thereafter.

‘Furthermore, the company is working on its next generation products, with new soy and wheat products expected to be commercially piloted by 2016. We continue to believe the upside at Plant Impact to be significant.’

[bigglesbingham] 27/10/2014 18:33

Ram ridge- I assume a data package is another way of describing actual field trial results. In other words we have this product and data backing up their claims.

[ramridge] 27/10/2014 11:08

Hi timbo003. Hate to ask a basic question to those who know this co. well, but what's a data package? The only ones I know are in the telecoms industry esp for data switching networks. Presumably it means something else here. Cheers

[here and there] 27/10/2014 09:32

'Last year also saw a pilot commercial launch of Veritas® into Brazilian soy with our partners Bayer CropScience. This was a crucial opportunity to prove the value of the product in one of the largest single crop sectors in the world under the scrutiny of a major R&D based agrochemical company. I am pleased to report that our pilot was extremely well received by Brazilian growers and by our partners Bayer. They are cooperating enthusiastically with the Plant Impact Brazilian team with a full scale commercialisation of Veritas® in the upcoming 2014/15 soy growing season.'

' Since the year-end, the Group has announced an important next step in its commercial relationship with Bayer CropScience Brazil, and the outlook for sales and grower consumption of Veritas® in the 2014/15 crop year looks strong. The Group looks forward to an appreciable full launch of Veritas® in the first quarter and first half of its 2015 financial year. Sales in the second half of the financial year are also expected to increase, as lower channel inventories within European customers at the end of 2014 give good visibility of increased growth in the 2015 growing season.'

two quotes from today's RNS.

More than half of the years income came from the Americas, which basically means the Veritas pilot season in Brazil. This year we have a second season in the pilot region and a full scale roll out throughout the country.

This will definitely improve our cash position unless the company choses to invest more funds in business development. Jones and Brubaker are top class management. I trust them to make the right strategic decisions. What they said they would do a couple of years ago following the strategic review, they have implemented. Good job, keep going

[timbo003] 27/10/2014 08:59

A reassuring section on the IP, which should help reassure some jittery investors who seem to believe that patent protection is essential for the business to be successful. Patents are only one part of the IP jigsaw and there are multiple barriers to entry for competitors in PIM's chosen markets.

The Group protects its intellectual property and products through the use of patents, trade secrets and trademarks. Plant Impact conducts multi-year product efficacy trials which generate compelling data packages that are a key point of market differentiation and a significant barrier to competitive entrants.

[ramridge] 27/10/2014 08:57

hi here and there - you say net cash position will increase again over the next 6 months. Your rationale or evidence?

[ramridge] 27/10/2014 08:52

hi wan - eeh, what's the difference to the previous version??

[wan] 27/10/2014 08:44

Edit to my above post;
"Cash balances at the time of this report publication were GBP1.1 million, having increased steadily since the middle of the 2014 calendar year. The Group has sufficient funds to support its near-term operating requirements and the operational flexibility to reduce or increase expenditure to respond to challenges or opportunities."
(end)

[here and there] 27/10/2014 08:42

Net cash has increased since year end to £1.1million. It will increase again over the next 6 months. Cash call not needed atm

[wan] 27/10/2014 08:41

Ramridge...Hi

I would state/highlight two things;

T don't think the board currently foresee that and they are being very conservative/prudent -

"A little on how we work: the Plant Impact Board consists of three people who are responsible for refining and implementing the strategy, achieving and monitoring performance, especially cash and the allocation of funds. Much emphasis is placed on achieving financial self-sufficiency of the business and delivery to market expectation. With many companies in the agricultural sector promising breakthrough performance, the Board's style is toward prudent prediction with energetic and determined delivery. I am pleased to say that there is excellent alignment on the Board and within the executive on these priorities and this culture."

"Cash balances at the time of this report publication were GBP1.1 million, having increased steadily since the middle of the 2014 calendar year. The Group has sufficient funds to support its near-term operating requirements and the operational flexibility to reduce or increase expenditure to respond to challenges or opportunities."
(end)

And again I would highlight that the cash position that you highlight is for 31st July 2014 and the cash balance today is £1.1m

[ramridge] 27/10/2014 08:39

OK. I have just re-read the 11/9 trading update which says:

"Current and projected cash balances remain sufficient for the Company's operational needs over the coming twelve months... "

I am sure their operational cost controls and R&D spend are in top shape !

[timbo003] 27/10/2014 08:36

AGM is on November 20th (London), I will certainly go along.

I will ask about funding requirements. If there is going to be a small cash call, I would hope that existing shareholders get first dibs via a small discounted open offer (with the numerous EIS tax benefits).

[ramridge] 27/10/2014 08:30

hi wan - new to this board but happy investor. Todays results are very encouraging and happy to continue to hold.
One slight concern. Cashflow statement indicates to me that a cash call would be due soon. Total decrease in cash was £750k and net balance £516k. Given that the CEO says commitment to R&D will continue, this looks as if their burn rate will exhaust the cash left before end of current financial year.
Happy to be corrected.

[wan] 27/10/2014 08:20

Well few would argue that cash flow is not heading materially in the right direction!

Cash as of July 31st was £500k, cash 3 months later and as of today's date is £1.1m.

And the board foresee further improvements -

Since the year-end, the Group has announced an important next step in its commercial relationship with Bayer CropScience Brazil, and the outlook for sales and grower consumption of Veritas(R) in the 2014/15 crop year looks strong. The Group looks forward to an appreciable full launch of Veritas(R) in the first quarter and first half of its 2015 financial year. Sales in the second half of the financial year are also expected to increase, as lower channel inventories within European customers at the end of 2014 give good visibility of increased growth in the 2015 growing season.

[here and there] 27/10/2014 08:14

I think you can rely on management to husband resources appropriately. They have clearly stated their intentions. They have increased R&D expenditure as soon as they had the cash to facilitate it. A lot to digest there.

[pugugly] 27/10/2014 08:07

wan:> Today's of course - !! Agreed making good progress and great margins but need a very significant sales increase to become cash flow positive.

Difficult to tell how much R&D expenditure could or should be classified as sales support and how this would affect the reported numbers but (imo) could well be a 2 to 3 year grind.

[wan] 27/10/2014 07:57

Excellent Results showing the effective turnaround and inklings of the liley momentum. The future does indeed look very promising, if not exciting!

I note the very interesting commentary regarding TGT-101 (formerly referred to as "BugOil") in Notes to the Preliminary Results.

More from me later.