Protecting yields
Acting as a feeding insect suppressant, BOOSTER-Mag can reduce the use of conventional pesticides without compromising crop yields or quality. BOOSTER-Mag is also a source of magnesium essential for crop health.
A safe & sustainable product to improve productivity.
It is registered* and available for use for the suppression of two spotted mites on commercial tomato and cucurbits crops.
Applied as a foliar spray, the bioactive residue formed on leaves is crop safe, non-toxic to pests and beneficial insects, including pest predators and bees, and may augment magnesium deficiency.
Increasing regulation follows recognition that conventional pesticides are often toxic, can persist and accumulate in the environment, reduce biodiversity, and are becoming less effective through the development of target resistance.
At the same time, farmers need to control crop pests and diseases. Safe and sustainable crop protection solutions are urgently needed.
As a dual fertiliser and pest suppressant, BOOSTER-Mag can maintain yields while reducing the use of conventional pesticides and fertilisers.
Acting as a feeding insect suppressant, BOOSTER-Mag can reduce the use of conventional pesticides without compromising crop yields or quality. BOOSTER-Mag is also a source of magnesium essential for crop health.
BOOSTER-Mag can reduce the use and cost of conventional pesticide applications and reduce the overall intensity and cost of agronomic management.
BOOSTER-Mag is derived from natural magnesium carbonate minerals which are heated and formulated with water to produce the magnesium hydroxide active product.
Magnesium hydroxide is:
Generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA);
Classified as non-persistent, non-bioaccumulative and non-toxic (nPBT) by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA);
A safe and well understood material that is non-toxic to humans, animals, fish and plants (non-phytotoxic).
BOOSTER-Mag is applied as a diluted foliar spray using conventional agricultural spray equipment. It provides good adhesion to leaf surfaces and is resistant to wash-off.
BOOSTER-Mag provides non-lethal pest suppression designed to reduce the use of conventional insecticides and support beneficial insect activity.
The registration is for use as a non-lethal insecticide for the suppression of two-spotted mite (Tetranychus urticae) in tomatoes and cucurbits (field and protected crops) and made BOOSTER-Mag the first registration of a magnesium hydroxide insecticide in the world.
BOOSTER-Mag can be supplied or sold and used safely according to the label directions by farmers (using the issue of product registration number #89101). The initial registration was approved without restriction on crop residue, and farm re-entry and withholding period, reflecting BOOSTER-Mag’s intrinsic safety.
Calix’s magnesium oxide and magnesium hydroxide products use an intrinsically safe material to deliver high surface area products with enhanced bioactivity.
BOOSTER-Mag is a suspension concentrate of bioactive magnesium hydroxide, developed as a foliar treatment to suppress a variety of crop insect pests and diseases. Large-scale field trials have indicated that regular foliar application of BOOSTER-Mag reduces farmer reliance on conventional pesticides without compromising crop yield or yield quality.
An international collaboration with the Greek research organisation, CERTH, supported by funding from the Australian Government, has studied the use of BOOSTER-Mag on tomatoes by measuring the microbiological response of the sprayed plants. The published results provide insights into BOOSTER-Mag’s non-lethal mode of action and support BOOSTER-Mag’s potential for a broad range of applications in agriculture.
The results from this study indicate that porous micron-sized particles produced from hydrated, high surface area MgO powders have great potential for beneficial application in agriculture as a new, non-lethal, and non-toxic active for the suppression of plant pathogens.
The results from this study indicate that porous micron-sized particles produced from hydrated, high surface area MgO powders have great potential for beneficial application in agriculture as a new, non-lethal, and non-toxic active for the suppression of plant pathogens.
When the Chief of Goulburn Valley field tomato needed to improve plant resistance to insect damage, it contacted Calix to conduct a trial of its BOOSTER-Mag technology. The successful trial demonstrated how the technology can dramatically improve the resistance of tomatoes to insect damage.
They are threatening biological diversity and risking future outbreaks of infectious diseases. To reach the Sustainable Development Goals, solutions that enable the sustainable use of our land and oceans are needed.
Calix’s magnesium oxide-based materials are non-toxic and exhibit unique bioactive properties. Their application can replace polluting or damaging products in agriculture and marine coatings, and help address the rise of antimicrobial resistance
Registration information
Calix’s BOOSTER-Mag is registered* and available for use for the suppression of two spotted mites on commercial tomato and cucurbits crops. Its treatments suppress plant feeding pest populations at statistically equivalent levels to grower spray programmes using industry standard insecticides/miticides.
Used as a preventative, BOOSTER-Mag will suppress pest activity, reduce crop damage, and generally enable pest-toxic insecticide usage to be reduced. Further data is required to extend label use for the suppression of thrips, aphid, and whitefly and, for use in other crops.
Integrated pest management (IPM) grower field trials demonstrate that the early and regular application of BOOSTER-Mag reduces the number of conventional insecticide/miticide sprays required to control insect and mite pests over the season, without compromising crop yield or yield quality.
Calix is solving global challenges in industrial decarbonisation and sustainability.
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At Calix, sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability sits at the core of Calix’s purpose: solving global challenges in industrial decarbonisation and sustainability. Because Mars is for quitters.
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Calix is committed to fostering fairness and belonging. We believe everyone should feel safe, respected and valued for who they are. Inclusivity is one of our core values and we actively work to create an environment where all people can feel safe and thrive, contribute meaningfully and feel a sense of belonging.
Calix’s BOOSTER-Mag is a safe, low-cost and environmentally sustainable non-lethal insecticide.
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