Agrochemical Update Brazil & Latin America - 10/04/2023

In compliance with a court decision, Anvisa approves the toxicological evaluation of the pesticide fipronil 500 g/L FS from Ouro Fino. (Anvisa)

Brazilian startup NanoScoping developed agricultural adjuvants with biodegradable nanoparticles. According to the company, the products are made using vegetable oils and plants, and have antifungal, antibacterial and repellent properties against pests and diseases. According to NanoScoping, studies done in tomato farms have demonstrated that plants treated with the technology showed an 80% reduction in the severity of bacterial spot cases. (NanoScoping)

Ministry of Agriculture is monitoring levels of pesticide residues in watermelons farmed in the State of Goiás. Agricultural inspectors sent 40 batches for analysis by the Federal Agricultural Defense Laboratory. (LFDA-GO)

Anvisa approved the toxicological evaluation of a new formulated product (active ingredient not yet registered in the country), penflufen 240 FS, from Bayer; and a new microbiological product (microbiological active ingredient not yet registered in the country) based on Bacillus thuringiensis + Brevibacillus laterosporus, from Total Biotecnologia. (Anvisa)

Fertilizers represent 33% of the operating costs for manually harvested Arabica coffee farming. In the case of semi-mechanized and mechanized harvest Arabica coffee, this percentage increases to 38% and 37%, respectively. For conilon coffee, the share of fertilizers in operating costs reaches 35% of costs in the manual harvest system and 30% in the semi-mechanized system. “From the point of view of management, a possible alternative is the barter system, which is a tool for coffee farmers to manage their production costs”, according to a report from the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock. (CNA Senar)

The Ministry of Agriculture seized approximately 45 tonnes of illegal pesticides in the State of Paraná. The objective of the inspection, which was carried out from September 25^th to 29^th, was to monitor the manufacturing, reception, storage, and use of unregistered, smuggled and counterfeit pesticides, as well as other agricultural inputs, on farms, factories, highways, warehouses and dealers in the western region of the State of Paraná. The main illegal pesticides seized contained the active ingredients emamectin benzoate, thiamethoxam and paraquat. (MAPA)

Anvisa’s Ordinance No. 1081, from September 27^th, provides for the creation of the Program of Pesticide Residue Analysis in Food – PARA. Among other decisions, the ordinance establishes that “the General Coordination will be carried out on a permanent basis by the Director responsible for the Toxicology area of the National Health Surveillance Agency – Anvisa or by someone appointed by them.” (Anvisa)

According to the Agricultural Fertilizer and Corrective Industry Union in the State of Paraná, the amount of fertilizers to be delivered at the Port of Paranaguá until the end of the year should exceed nine million tonnes. (Sindiadubos)

The fertilizer company Fertilizantes Heringer concluded the compliance with the B3 Stock Exchange New Market Regulation process, after making adjustments to its bylaws and implementing governance structures and requirements made by the institution. (Fertilizantes Heringer)

“We don’t have enough acaricides to control the false spider mite (Brevipalpus phoenicis) [which causes citrus leprosis]. The continuous use of the same acaricide products leads to a loss of their efficiency due to the selection of resistant mites. Therefore, it is important that pesticide companies know the size of our citrus industry and the importance of citrus leprosis, so that they can develop new acaricides to help control this disease”, according to Renato Bassanesi, a researcher at Fundecitrus. To exchange information on the occurrence and ways of controlling false spider mites, Fundecitrus received a visit from pesticide company representatives from Gowan Brasil and Agro-Kanesho, and from professor and researcher Daniel de Andrade, from Unesp in Jaboticabal. (Fundecitrus)

ICMBio issued a notice of infraction against the Fazenda Angelin farm, due to a herbicide spraying operation done by helicopter along the riparian forest surrounding the Murici Ecological Station and inside the Environmental Protection Area of Murici, State of Alagoas. (ICMBio)

Considered the main hosts for the reproduction and development of the corn leafhopper, “volunteer” corn plants are spreading across farms in the State of Mato Grosso. Born from leftover grains from previous harvests, volunteer plants can serve as a “green bridge” for agricultural pests. “Most corn is resistant to glyphosate and glufosinate, which makes its control even more difficult. So it is good to be using other herbicides, controlling the layers [of plants], so that the soybeans, when they are in their reproductive period, are already free from the presence of corn plants”, according to Lucas Beber, vice-president of the Brazilian Association of Soybean Farmers in the State of Mato Grosso. (Aprosoja – MT)

The Senate Environment Committee has postponed, on September 27^th, the voting of the Pesticides Bill No. 1459/22, following a request for a review from congressmen linked to the Parliamentary Agricultural Front. (Agência Senado)

Anvisa released a new form for the indication of pesticides that should go through a toxicological safety reassessment. The indications will be included in the preparation of the new list of active pesticide ingredients that will face toxicological revaluation. “The last list of active ingredients for revaluation was published in 2019 and prioritized seven compounds. Among these, a revaluation was completed, and the active ingredient carbendazim was banned. Another four are under technical analysis by Anvisa and two are awaiting the publication of notice to start the revaluation”, according to Anvisa. (Anvisa)

Bioengen, an environmental consulting firm, and the Federal University of Espírito Santo are developing a nanosensor capable of detecting the presence of pesticides in real time and determining whether pesticide levels are within legal limits. According to Sara Aparecida Francisco, project director at Bioengen, conventional pesticide detection methods are very expensive and time-consuming, and require sophisticated equipment and laboratory analysis. (Bioengen; Ufes)

President of Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates, stated that “it makes sense”, from the state-owned company’s strategic point of view, for the company to go back to the fertilizer market, but this would depend on a State policy that would guarantee the economic viability of the enterprise. “Within the verticalization and biorefining strategy, returning to the fertilizer market makes sense. But today this product enters the market at a very cheap price”, said Prates, during an interview on the Roda Viva TV show. (TV Cultura)

Brazil imported 3.97 million tonnes of chemical fertilizers in September, with a disbursement of US$ 1.22 billion. In comparison with September of 2022, when purchases reached 3.24 million tonnes, the volume was 22.4% higher. The average price paid per tonne of fertilizers in September was US$ 308.30, which is 50.4% lower than in September of 2022. (Secex)

Researchers at Linax, a company with headquarters in Votuporanga, State of São Paulo, have developed a fungicide based on essential oils. The fungicide is a slow-release product, encapsulated using natural polymers. The technology was tested against the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, which causes Asian rust, and showed an equivalent effect to that of the most fungicides used against the disease. “The joint application of half the dose of our solution plus half the dose of conventional fungicides was more effective than in the case of conventional fungicides used alone”, according to agronomist Nilson Borlina Maia, co-owner of Linax. (Linax)

Brazil Potash Corp, a Canadian company that intends to build the biggest fertilizer mine in Latin America in the Amazon rainforest, said the Mura indigenous people, who live there, have agreed with the project. Even so, federal prosecutors say the community is still divided. According to the Federal Public Ministry, “there is no unanimity among the Mura in relation to the mineral exploration project.” (Federal Public Ministry)

A study carried out over three harvests by Yara Brasil, in partnership with Professor Danilo Yamane, from the Municipal College of Bebedouro, demonstrated that the application of foliar fertilizer with algae extract increases orange tree yields even in adverse weather conditions. It was possible to observe an increase in the resistance of orange trees to extreme conditions of water stress and high temperatures, along with around 2.2 times more fruits retained after the period of physiological fruit drop and a significant increase of 54% more fruits harvested. (Yara Brasil)

Solution developed by the startup daNatureza transforms agricultural waste into biodegradable packaging for industrial use. The company is supported by Catalisa ICT from Sebrae. According to the startup’s creator, Patrícia Ponce, “after disposal, these packages degrade within 90 days, transforming into water, carbon dioxide and fertilizer to be used in the next rice and coffee farms, among others, thus closing a sustainability cycle”. (Sebrae news agency)