Ecogen Inc. and ChemLawn Services Corp., a subsidiary ofEcolab Inc., said Wednesday that a proprietary Bacillusthuringiensis strain isolated by Ecogen has shown significantactivity against lawn and ornamental plant pests.

In greenhouse tests by ChemLawn, the Bt caused up to 90percent mortality in Japanese beetles and up to 70 percentmortality in northern masked chafer grubs. In North America,more than $50 million is spent annually to control these pestson professional turf alone.

ChemLawn, based in Columbus, Ohio, is developing andmarketing products containing Ecogen's proprietary Bt strainsunder a February 1989 co-development and license agreement.

Product sales could begin in 1993 if large-scale field trials nextsummer are successful, said John McIntyre, vice president ofcommercial development at Ecogen.

Research results are to be presented by Ecogen and ChemLawnon Dec. 11 at the annual meeting of the Entomological Society ofAmerica in Reno, Nev.

Shares of Langhorne, Pa.-based Ecogen (NASDAQ:EECN) closedat $11.75, down 25 cents . -- KH

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