Crop Protection and Nutrition - Weekly Update Brazil & Latin America (07/25/24 – 07/31/24)

Normative Instruction Establishes Actions to Prevent Greening From Entering the State of Rio Grande Do Sul


Brazil

Anvisa published toxicological evaluation withdrawal requests of 3 technical products from Adama, 2 from Nutrien, 2 evaluations for post-registration of biological products from Total Biotecnologia, and other toxicological evaluation requests from Albaugh, Nortox, and Syngenta. (Anvisa)

A former employee of a multinational fertilizer company was arrested in Goiânia, State of Goiás, suspected of embezzling almost US$ 270 thousand. According to the investigation, in addition to invoices and electronic signatures, the suspect also forged emails and contracts for the company’s merchandise. The name of the company was not disclosed by the police. (Civil Police of Goiás)

In order to control weeds in a sustainable way, scientists from five federal Brazilian universities are participating in a research network that aims to develop products and processes with a focus on biopesticides. The initiative is coordinated by Márcio Paixão, researcher at the Federal University of São Carlos. According to him, weeds have developed resistance to at least 50 of the herbicide products registered in Brazil. “Many of these herbicides cause negative environmental impacts… They also have other problems, such as high cost and low stability. The network project aims to overcome these challenges”, said the researcher. Scientists seek to perform the synthesis and evaluation of compounds that inhibit the enzyme 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase. These compounds are considered promising, as they interrupt the production of pigments necessary for photosynthesis, and have high selectivity. (UFSCar)

Matheus Rocha is the new regional sales director at the fertilizer company Sempre AgTech. (Sempre AgTech)

In compliance with court decisions, Anvisa approves toxicological evaluation of cyproconazole 400 g/L SC and imazethapyr 100 g/L SL (SOLUS); etiprole 400 g/L SC (ALBAUGH); chlorothalonil 720 g/L SC (CHDS); mesotrione 480 g/L SC (ZHONGSHAN). (Anvisa)

According to a study performed by researcher Márcia Mutton, from the State University of São Paulo, in partnership with the Sugarcane Technology Center, the damage caused by the sugarcane borer to crops can reach US$ 1.42 billion per year. This is because for every 1% of infestation there can be a reduction of 0.96% to 2.06% in ethanol yield per hectare and 0.43 to 1.97% in sugar production. (Unesp; CTC)

1st Federal Civil Court of the State of São Paulo has determined confidentiality of the process filed by Ibama, through the Federal Attorney General’s Office – AGU, against Syngenta. The company is suspected of selling three types of adulterated pesticides, produced at the factory in Paulínia, State of São Paulo. In the action, filed in June, the AGU asked to seize US$ 16.02 million from the multinational to repair any environmental damages caused by the sale of 4.5 million L of the allegedly adulterated pesticides. According to Ibama, in addition to adulterating products, the multinational was following a “protocol” to circumvent inspection. The Federal Court did not inform a reason why confidentiality was determined. (AGU)

The Agricultural Defense Institute of the State of Mato Grosso (Indea-MT) published a Normative Instruction (IN) that provides rules for the use of pesticides, environmental control products and the like. IN No. 002/2024 allows the possibility of issuing Complementary Agricultural Recommendations, allowing the change of the technical recommendation when there are changes in the parameters that support the original document or when the agricultural season has passed without the partial or complete use of the purchased product. “In practice, if the farmer has purchased pesticides for soybeans, but has leftover registered products that can be used to protect other crops, such as corn or cotton, a legally qualified professional can issue a complementary agronomic recommendation, and this change must be informed to Indea-MT”, said the Institute’s technical director, Renan Tomazele. (Indea-MT)

Lucas Leonço is the new executive director of the fertilizer company FertAgro – Fertilizantes e Tecnologia Vegetal. (FertAgro)

Judge of the 2nd Federal Court of Santana do Livramento, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, sentenced a 49-year-old man for smuggling 37 kg of pesticides, seized at a checkpoint on the border with Uruguay. The cargo was not registered to be sold in Brazil; labels were in Spanish, without translation into Portuguese, which violates Brazilian legislation. The products had been purchased in Uruguay. (2nd Federal Court of Santana do Livramento)

Carlos Eduardo Val is the new director of marketing & sales excellence at Indorama Brasil, an agrochemical manufacturer. Gustavo Zaitune was announced as the company’s new CEO in June. (Indorama Brasil)

Normative Instruction (IN) No. 14/2024 of the Agriculture Secretariat of the State of Rio Grande do Sul came into force. It establishes actions to prevent greening from entering the State. The IN establishes complementary criteria and procedures for preventing the bacteria Candidatus liberibacter spp., which causes HLB and the insect vector Diaphorina citri, the citrus psyllid. According to the director of the Department of Plant Health, Ricardo Felicetti, the use of inappropriate seedlings is the main risk factor for the disease. “We are reinforcing protective measures for citrus farming in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, especially in the restoration of new orchards aiming at the use of pathogen-free seedlings… Many citrus farmers had their orchards compromised by floods and, in the restoration of these orchards, we are providing guarantees for the use of pest-free seedlings”. (Seapi/RS)

Roberto Andrade is the new director of AtacaAgro Distribuidora, a wholesale dealer of agricultural inputs from the State of Minas Gerais. (AtacaAgro Distribuidora)

Ministry of Agriculture published registration approvals for 26 equivalent technical products. In 2024, 80 technical product registrations have been approved in Brazil. (MAPA)

Citi Brasil forecasts that Vittia, which produces special fertilizers and biological pesticides, should present “higher” results in the 2Q/2024, compared to the same period of 2023, due to “higher sales volume, partially offset by lower prices, maintaining the price trend of the 1Q/2024”. (Citi Brasil)

Embrapa Meio Ambiente (Embrapa Environment) and the Chemistry Institute of the University of Campinas have developed a more effective and sustainable insecticide using a controlled release system for thiamethoxam. The product uses polymeric nanomicelles, which are structures smaller than a billionth of a meter, to encapsulate the active ingredient. The objective is to control the insects responsible for the spread of greening in citrus. (Embrapa; Unicamp)



Latin America

Sumitomo has obtained the registration of a new foliar herbicide made from epyrifenacil in Argentina. This is a new PPO (protoporphyrin IX oxidase) inhibitor discovered and developed by the company. (Sumitomo Chemical)

Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos – YPFB, from Bolivia, estimates a revenue of approximately US$ 12 million through the sale of urea on the local market during the 1H/2024. “We export 99.9% of our production, which makes us net exporters. Our main markets are Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru. Through these exports we bring foreign currency to our country”, said Gabriela Delgadillo, manager of derivatives and industrialized products at YPFB. (YPFB)

El Salvador, organizations that form part of the “Campaña Azúcar Amarga” (Bitter Sugar Campaign) demand the ban of at least 5 agricultural pesticides: 2,4-D, glyphosate, chlorpyrifos, paraquat, and phorate. “El Salvador imports large quantities of agrochemicals. US$ 55 million is imported annually to be sold without control and then this goes into the environment. It is a practice that must end… Agrochemicals are used indiscriminately by the sugarcane industry”. (Campaña Azúcar Amarga)



READ MORE:

Company Wants to Explore Potash in the Amazon Region, but There Are Setbacks