Bayer CropScience announce that it will take back the Serenade^® bio-fungicide business from BASF in the United Kingdom.

The termination of the license reflects Bayer CropScience's desire to leverage their August 2012 acquisition of AgraQuest.  Under the termination agreement, Bayer CropScience will reacquire the worldwide control of the development and commercialization of the Bacillus subtilis QST713 fungicides, previously granted to BASF by AgraQuest.  Customers seeking Serenade products should contact Bayer CropScience, which immediately takes over commercial responsibility for the fungicide brand.

"We are pleased to bring the Serenade biofungicide family within the portfolio of Bayer CropScience," said Marcus Meadows-Smith, global head of Biologics at Bayer CropScience.  "This step immediately enables us to bring growers crop solutions integrating Serenade in spray programs with our portfolio of innovative fungicides."

Bayer CropScience intends to design solutions that integrate seeds, biologics and chemical crop protection products to deliver pest and disease control or yield gains and to meet the increasing demand for sustainably-produced food.