Crop Protection and Nutrition – Weekly Update Brazil & Latin America (04/10/25 – 04/16/25)

In compliance with court decision, Anvisa approves toxicological evaluations of fluroxypyr-meptyl 115.3 + triclopyr-butyl 333.8 g/L EC from BRA; and acetamiprid 250 + bifenthrin 250 g/kg WG from SM AGROCARE. (Anvisa)

According to Leila Luci Dinardo-Miranda, researcher at the Agronomic Institute of Campinas, despite the recent reduction in the populations of Mahanarva fimbriolata spittlebug in sugarcane due to the dry weather, this pest’s control should not be neglected. “The spittlebug remains relevant. Susceptible varieties and the humid environment provided by the straw favor the insect’s cycle”. Ineffective control of the pest can cause losses of up to 50% in tonnes of sugarcane per hectare, especially in high-productivity regions, such as Ribeirão Preto, State of São Paulo. With the estimated value of a tonne of sugarcane at US$ 25.43, losses can exceed US$ 760 per hectare. (IAC; Ihara)

In 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture has already approved 206 pesticide registrations, 121 of which are formulated products (including biologicals) and 65 are technical products. (MAPA)

In a report presented to investors in March, Mosaic stated there is a strong interest in the use of phosphate in the automotive batteries market, which could cause supply problems in the future. Competition between the agricultural and automotive segments is expected to make phosphates more expensive in the short term, according to André Maranhão, an automotive engineering specialist at USP. (Mosaic; USP)

Demand for acquisition of pesticide registrations is high in 2025. “In the first three months of 2025, there was an increase of more than 300% in the number of companies contacting us to acquire registrations, compared to the same period in 2024”, according to Flavio Hirata, from product registration consulting firm AllierBrasil, in a lecture for entrepreneurs interested in accessing the Brazilian pesticide market. (AllierBrasil)

The State Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Goiás announces the opening of a public consultation on the proposal to update State laws that regulate the use of bioinputs and pesticides. The measure aims to adapt the State of Goiás’ legislation to the new federal legal framework established by Law No. 15070/2024. The consultation, Ordinance No. Seapa 69, was published on April 10th, 2025. (Seapa)

Nematodes are essential bioindicators of soil health, said researcher Juliane Carneiro, a specialist at NemaSolum. “The diversity of the nematode community reveals a lot about the ecological balance of the soil. In healthy soil, we find a wide variety of species, including bacteriophages, fungivores, omnivores and predators. Degraded soils are usually dominated by plant-parasitic nematodes, which indicates imbalances and possible problems in agricultural production.” (NemaSolum)

In research supported by Fapesp, Bacillus thuringiensis RZ2MS9 was isolated for the first time from the rhizosphere of Amazonian guarana (Paullinia cupana, sorbilis variety) and demonstrated potential to promote the growth of soybeans and corn in greenhouse experiments and field trials. “We observed there was greater growth and pod production in the plants, without the microorganisms released into the environment causing an impact on the structure of the native microbial community”, said Leandro Fonseca de Souza, a biologist with a postdoctoral degree from Esalq/USP. “In addition, combining these microorganisms has the potential to contribute to the assimilation of phosphorus in the soil by the plants”. (Fapesp; Esalq/USP)

Fertilizantes Heringer fertilizer company stock prices fell 34% in 2025. Since the beginning of the year, the company has already announced the resignation of its commercial director, Fábio Cânfora, and its operations director, Augusto de Oliveira, in addition to the hibernation of three plants. (Fertilizantes Heringer)

Researched performed by the Senai Innovation Institute reveals that replacing mineral fertilizers with bio-inputs in grasses can represent significant environmental and financial savings for Brazil. According to the study, this transition can prevent the emission of up to 18 million tonnes of CO2 annually, contributing to mitigating the effects of climate change. In addition, the use of bio-inputs could generate savings estimated at US$ 5.1 billion per year for agriculture. (Senai)

Raphael Marçal is the new commercial director for Brazil at Rainbow. (Rainbow Agro Brasil)

CropLife and associated companies received representatives of risk management companies in Brazil on April 11th. The objective of the meeting was to present an updated overview of risk management in the transportation and storage of chemical pesticides. (CropLife Brasil)

Corteva will close its facility in Santa Cruz do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul, after May 1st. Employees at the facility were already working in a hybrid regime. The company reported: “Santa Cruz do Sul employees are migrating to a fully remote work model… This is a decision aligned with our business objectives”. According to the company, there were no layoffs. (Corteva)

Ibama approved the evaluation of 506 formulated products in 2024, compared to 371 in 2023, an increase of approximately 36%. The active ingredients with the most approvals are glyphosate (39), glufosinate (266), and imidacloprid (23). Approximately 24% of the approved products are Concentrated Suspension. Rainbow (80), AllierBrasil (45), and Perterra (29) were the companies with the highest number of evaluation approvals in 2024. (Ibama)

Congressmen have approved a subcommittee that will evaluate the suspension of hormonal herbicide usage in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. This is the result of a public hearing held last week, which defined the analysis of the suspension of herbicides such as 2,4-D, as well as the time interval for application and projects to prohibit the use of these pesticides in the State. The term for the evaluation will be 120 days, without extension. At the end, a report with recommendations must be elaborated. (Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul)

Researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro identified the presence of pesticides in sediment samples from six lakes and flooded areas in the mountains of Itatiaia National Park and Serra dos Órgãos National Park, State of Rio de Janeiro. Chlorpyrifos was the product found to have the highest concentrations and potential ecological risk. (UFRJ)

AgroGalaxy informed on April 10th that its Bankruptcy Protection (similar to the US’ chapter 11) plan was approved by a general meeting of creditors. Now, the plan will have to be ratified by the 19th Civil and Environmental Court of the District of Goiânia, State of Goiás. (AgroGalaxy)

Tereos uses drones to apply pesticides on sugarcane farms and saves US$ 42/ha. The company has around 30 drones to protect 170 thousand hectares of sugarcane in the State of São Paulo. “The drones came to help spray these exposed areas. In addition, they reduce waste, with the gradual release of pesticides. If I have a map of the area and know where the weeds are, for example, I can apply the product only where it is necessary”, said Everton Carpanezi, director of agroindustrial operations. (Tereos)

In the 1Q2025, the Fex Agro inputs dealer showed a 70% growth, and projects to reach US$ 38.18 million in revenue in 2025. The company from Primavera do Leste, State of Mato Grosso, achieved a revenue of US$ 22.91 million last year. (Fex Agro)

According to a report elaborated by the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics, the negative performance observed in the GDP of the “Agricultural Sector” in 2024 (-2.19%) was related to the contractions observed in all segments, especially for inputs, which registered a drop of almost 7%. The contraction in the agricultural inputs GDP was negatively influenced by the drops in the prices of fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural machinery, in addition to the reduction in the production of agricultural machinery. The performance of the GDP of agribusiness as a whole was positive, offset by the “Livestock Sector”, which showed an increase of 12.48%. (Cepea/CNA)

WEED-IT technology, which uses sensors in spray bars that detect weeds, generates herbicide savings’ average of 79% in grain and cotton. According to researchers at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, localized application of herbicides with smart sensors reduces soybean and corn production costs by 2.3 times. (Smart Sensing)

Research conducted by the University of Campinas confirmed the presence of pesticides in baby formula milk brands. Most of the contaminants, mainly composed of fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos and bifenthrin, were found to be in concentrations below the safety limits established by health authorities. (Unicamp)

Atvos has partnered up with Japanese startup Tsubame BHB for a green ammonia project in Mineiros, State of Goiás. With an investment of approximately US$ 11.88 million, the sustainable ammonia plant will have an installed capacity of 20 thousand tonnes per year, used to replace fossil-based nitrogen fertilizers. (Atvos)

Petrobras plans to restart operations at its fertilizer plant in the State of Paraná in June. The restart of Araucária Nitrogenados S.A. – ANSA was approved by the company’s board of directors in mid-2024. “ANSA is undergoing a series of maintenance interventions aimed at ensuring the integrity of the equipment and the suitability of the plant for the resumption of production”, according to the company. (Petrobras)

The agricultural fair Tecnoshow Comigo 2025 reached US$ 170 million in business with agricultural inputs carried out directly by the Comigo Cooperative. According to the general coordinator of Tecnoshow and director of Inputs at Comigo, Claudio Teoro, this is the largest volume ever recorded by the organization in a single edition. (Cooperativa Comigo)

The amount of fertilizers delivered to the Brazilian market in 2024 was 45.61 million tonnes, a decrease of 0.5% when compared to 2023, when 45.82 million tonnes were recorded. (ANDA)

According to Isan Rezende, president of the Federation of Agronomists of the State of Mato Grosso, Lavoro reported a loss of US$ 46.05 million in the fiscal 1Q2025. The loss was attributed to changes in deferred tax assets, increased financial costs, and a drop in agricultural input prices in Brazil. (Lavoro; Feagro MT)

The use of amino acids, algae extracts and fulvic acids has increased the resistance and productivity of sugarcane and corn during periods of drought, improving nutrient absorption, root regeneration and tolerance to water stress. (Crop Care)

The New Bioinputs Law No. 15070/24 marks a milestone for the sector by ensuring legal certainty, unifying registration rules, and boosting the national industry, according to Amanda Bulgaro, Federal Regulatory Manager at the National Association of Crop Protection Products Companies. The law sets clear guidelines for the production, use, and commercialization of bioinputs, including tax incentives and new criteria for registering innovative products. (Aenda)

According Embrapa’s researchers, approximately 46% of agricultural diseases are expected to increase in severity in Brazil by 2100. (Embrapa)

Analysis from the Institute of Agricultural Economics of the State of Mato Grosso shows that fertilizer purchases for the 2025/26 season in the State of Mato Grosso continue at a slow pace, reflecting rising production costs and unstable economic conditions. Only 38.4% of farmers had bought fertilizer by February this year, which is significantly lower than the average recorded in the last five seasons. (IMEA; Aprosoja-MT)

Research performed by BASF revealed that 85% of the soil samples analyzed throughout Brazil contained at least one species of nematode, especially Helicotylenchus dihystera (71% of cases), with the Cerrado Biome region being the most affected; the damage caused by these parasites reaches US$ 6 billion/year, mainly in soybean farming. (BASF)

Generic pesticides from China already account for 49% of the Brazilian crop protection market, which reached US$ 15.4 billion a year, according to André Savino, president of Syngenta Brasil. (Syngenta Brasil)