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Press
Release Archives: 12/07/2006
Itronics
Begins GOLD'n GRO Guardian Liquid Deer Repellent
Fertilizer Registration Process; Unique Product for Key
Growing Problem
- Deer Do Billions in Damage Annually in U.S. -
RENO, Nev., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Itronics
Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ITRO; Frankfurt and Berlin
Stock Exchanges: ITG) announced today that its wholly
owned subsidiary, Itronics Metallurgical, Inc., will
immediately begin the process of registering its new
GOLD'n GRO Guardian deer repellent fertilizer with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Itronics previously stated in a press release that
"during the second half of 2005 and through the third
quarter of 2006 the Company has been performing research
to produce a stable GOLD'n GRO Guardian liquid deer
repellent fertilizer mix." A number of technical
challenges have been overcome and the product
formulation is now perfected.
GOLD'n GRO Guardian deer repellent fertilizer will be
registered as a biopesticide for use on ornamental
landscape plants and shrubs, lawns, flower gardens, golf
courses, non-bearing trees and vines, and by nursery
growers of non-food plants.
Several milestones must be met as part of the EPA
registration process including (1) creating a draft
label, (2) defining and completing tests required based
upon claims being made in the draft label, and (3)
filing the Registration Application and monitoring its
progress through the review process. Completion of these
steps could take 12 months or more.
Itronics' goal is to complete the registration process
so that sales in some of the northern and eastern states
where deer damage is most prevalent can be launched in
the first quarter of 2008. "GOLD'n GRO Guardian was
developed as a result of a cooperative effort with the
North American Deer Management Network, LLC," said Dr.
John Whitney, Itronics President. "Field trials have
shown the product to be effective as both a fertilizer
and a repellent when sprayed on plants, and when put
into the water used to water plants. Deer repelling
effectiveness was shown to last up to three months after
application."
The GOLD'n GRO Guardian repels deer without harming them
while it also improves the growth of the fertilized
plants. Two important product features are made possible
by Itronics' "Advanced Plant Nutrient Technology." The
treatment is systemic, which means that the repelling
characteristics are taken into the plant and do not wash
off when it rains, and field tests have shown that
plants that are treated in the fall will retain their
repelling characteristics during the winter, a major
benefit.
The national annual market for deer repellent products
is growing rapidly and is estimated to exceed $50
million. Itronics believes that product margins for the
product provide the potential for relatively rapid
payback of the dollars invested in product development
and registration. Deer repellents currently being
offered are topical and treatment typically lasts only a
short time. Itronics believes that there is a
substantial market niche for its GOLD'n GRO Guardian
liquid deer repellent fertilizer.
Deer damage in the United States is a large and growing
problem. According to a report by Cornell Cooperative
Extension, Ithaca, N.Y., the deer population has grown
from 500,000 nationwide in the early 1900's to more than
15 million today. Annual estimates of deer damage are
reported to exceed $2 billion nationwide, including more
than $100 million in agricultural crop damage, and more
than $250 million in damage to metropolitan households,
including landscape plantings.
Dr. Whitney stressed that Itronics is meeting its goals
including expanding GOLD'n GRO liquid fertilizer sales
and silver sales; increasing the number of photowaste
services customers to expand photochemical raw material
supply; registering GOLD'n GRO Guardian liquid deer
repellent fertilizer; and continuing to acquire
financing to support growth. All of this is being
implemented pursuant to Itronics' eight-part, five-year
business plan that was summarized in a press release on
June 3, 2005.
About Itronics
Itronics, through its subsidiary, Itronics
Metallurgical, Inc., is the only company in the world
with a "Beneficial Use Photochemical, Silver, and Water
Recycling" facility that extracts more than 99 percent
of the silver and virtually all the other toxic heavy
metals from used photoliquids and converts the resulting
liquids into environmentally beneficial, chelated,
multinutrient liquid fertilizer products sold under the
GOLD'n GRO trademark, and 5 troy ounce, 0.999 pure,
Silver Nevada Miner numismatic bars. The environmentally
friendly liquid fertilizers can be used for lawns and
houseplants, and are available, along with GOLD'n GRO
liquid fertilizer injectors, at the Company's "e-store"
catalog at http://goldngro.com . The popular Silver
Nevada Miner bars are available at the Company's
"e-store" catalog at http://www.itromet.com .
Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Itronics Inc. is a
"Creative Environmental Technology" company and a world
leader in photochemical recycling. The Company also
provides project planning and technical services to the
mining industry and operates the global Gold Producing
Stocks web site, http://www.insidemetals.com .
Itronics was one of five finalists for the 2001
Kirkpatrick Chemical Engineering Award, the most
prestigious worldwide award in chemical engineering
technologies. Itronics was awarded second place, Highly
Commended in the Environmental Technology category, at
the prestigious Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
2005 Worldwide Environmental Award ceremonies at the
Royal Courts of Justice in London, England in September
2005. Itronics was awarded the USA Gold Award at the
House of Commons in London in November 2005 as part of
the International Green Apple Environmental Awards
contest, one of the largest and most prestigious of its
kind in the world and the International Green Hero award
in 2006 for its leadership on environmental issues.
Itronics' GOLD'n GRO fertilizer was named one of the top
10 new technologies representing the best of
agricultural innovation by the Canadian Association of
Agri-Retailers in its December 2005 publication
"Communicator." Dr. John Whitney, Itronics President,
was selected as Nevada's Inventor of the Year for 2000
and is a member of the Inventor's Hall of Fame at the
University of Nevada, Reno.
VISIT OUR WEB SITE: http://www.itronics.com
("Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release
contains or may contain forward-looking statements such
as statements regarding the Company's growth and
profitability, growth strategy, liquidity and access to
public markets, operating expense reduction, and trends
in the industry in which the Company operates. The
forward-looking statements contained in this press
release are also subject to other risks and
uncertainties, including those more fully described in
the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update
these forward-looking statements to reflect actual
results, changes in risks, uncertainties or assumptions
underlying or affecting such statements, or for
prospective events that may have a retroactive effect.)
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Source: Itronics Inc. |
