New Ag International Magazine - June / July 2019 - English Edition

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June/July 2019

Robots soft on fruit · · · ·

Regional Report - South Africa Biocontrol in Brazil Precision agriculture – Key takeaways from Dublin New – Irrigation Innovation Consortium LEADER’S PROFILE

• Omnia

Highlights from the 17th New Ag International Conference & Exhibition Welcome to Biocontrol LATAM and InfoAg Brazil

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MOVING FORWARD, TOGETHER SAS has worked towards the development of technical and sustainable agriculture for 30 years. Along the way, a new generation of international professionals has arisen, who share our same values, and who have accompanied us on our road to success.

In these past 30 years, we have developed solutions that allow growers to improve yield and gain more from their crops. To do this we use modern tools and technologies essential to innovation, and by simply listening to nature.

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MESSAGE FROM EDITOR.qxp_MESSAGE FROM EDITOR (june) 03/06/2019 20:59 Page 1

A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR NEW AG INTERNATIONAL

Welcome to the June/July 2019 issue of New Ag International.

There was much to digest from New Ag International’s High-Tech Week in Dublin at the end of March 2019. The New Ag International Conference, now in its 17th year, had its usual depth in content, featuring developments across the various sectors in plant nutrition. The overview from New Ag contributing editor Dr Oded Achilea refers to a conference first, with a presentation on products combining stabilized nutrients with biostimulants.

At the SCRSFs conference New Ag International co-hosted with the International Fertilizer Association (IFA), there was discussion on how these products could reduce input consumption. This was timely given the UN resolution (albeit non-binding) earlier in the month on sustainable nitrogen management. This was the 4th edition of the co-hosted event, and notable since it was the first time three new products were presented at the meeting, a sure sign of activity in this sector. One of the keynote speakers gave his thoughts on the “ideal fertilizer” and how machine learning could play its role. This reflects the move towards using digital technology to find solutions for developing greater efficiency in nutrient use.

InfoAg held its first international conference during High-Tech Week, jointly organized by New Ag International and the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI). We have a summary of some of the key takeaways from Steve Phillips, PhD, Director, North American Program with IPNI. A view given in the report was that the future of variable rate technology (VRT) will depend on innovations in on-thego technology.

Digital technology is also expanding into other areas of the input space. An irrigation supplier presented at the conference, highlighting how digital technology was being used to improve return on investment.

There was also an example of what might be called reverse thinking – or thinking in the opposite direction to recent developments. Agricultural equipment has gradually become bigger over the decades, but Kit Franklin from Harper Adams University’s “hands free hectare” (see NAI March 2019) proposed machines might need to get smaller to do jobs in the field, and could work in groups and “swarm” in fields.

Another example of challenging prevailing thinking is regarding VRT. There is the assumption precision agriculture will lead to the use of less inputs, such as nitrogen. Although this might indeed be the net result, Phillips’ summary gives an example of how VRT might not necessarily reduce input volume, but rather reduce yield loss in certain parts of a field.

We have a South African theme to this issue with the leader profile on Omnia and the regional report on South Africa and Zimbabwe. Omnia’s Jan Vermaak fields questions, giving insight into the company’s biostimulant range how it is expanding into digital services, and the integration of Oro Agri, acquired by Omnia in 2018.

The next New Ag International conference and exhibition is in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in August, for Biocontrol LATAM and precision and digital agriculture (PDA). Biocontrol LATAM will continue to showcase product modes of action, delivery mechanisms and market trends, while PDA will explore the solutions for time- and site- specific applications. As a prelude to the event, we offer some published market data on biocontrol in Brazil in this issue.

Wishing you a good read.

Luke Hutson

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CONTENT June 2019.qxp_CONTENTS SEPT 04 03/06/2019 19:17 Page 1

C O N T E N T S

June/July 2019

NEW AG INTERNATIONAL is a publication of New Ag International SARL, an Informa PLC company Registered office: New Ag International SARL 37 avenue de Friedland 75008 Paris, France newag@newaginternational.com www.newaginternational.com Managing Director François Levesque newag@newaginternational.com Chief Editor Luke Hutson editorial@newaginternational.com Editor Janet Kanters Janet.Kanters@newaginternational.com Editor & Latin America Correspondent Patricio Trebilcock Patricio.Trebilcock@newaginternational.com Contributing Editors: Oded Achilea M. Loison Marketing Manager: Carmen Hernandez newag@newaginternational.com Advertising Sales Manager: Jacqui French advertising@newaginternational.com Head of Operations: Diane Jones newag@newaginternational.com Issued four times per year Reprints of articles obtainable on application to the Editor.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic,mechanical, photocopying,recording or otherwise – without the prior written permission of the Copyright Owner. © 2019 New Ag International SARL Subscription enquiries to: Email: newag@newaginternational.com Annual subscription: Euros 175 (4 issues per year - hard copies, online version and access to past issues) Designed in the UK Email: tony@alphaset.co.uk Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company www.magprint.co.uk New Ag International accepts no responsibility or liability for the validity or information supplied by contributors, vendors, advertisers or advertising agencies.

To opt out of New Ag International marketing, please email mail@newaginternational.com

NEWS REVIEW

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Headline news: Yara and IBM join forces on global digital farming platform/Sirius signs European supply deal/Scientists develop harvesting robot arms.

PLANT PROTECTION CORNER

20

Buoyant Brazilian market set for high growth rates

by New Ag International and Latin American Correspondent, P. Trebilcock.

PRECISION AG CORNER

22

Agriculture’s digital revolution highlighted at InfoAg International Conference.

LEADER’S PROFILE

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Omnia: Pushing into new global markets and putting the special into specialties.

PRODUCTS & TRENDS

30

Finding ways to enhance efficiency: Review of the SCRSFs conference.

IRRIGATION AND FERTIGATION TECHNOLOGY

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New initiative focuses on advanced irrigation technology.

IRRIGATION AND TECHNOLOGY LEADERS

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Precision Irrigation: Delivery by the drop.

By P. Trebilcock, Editor.

REGIONAL REPORT

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South Africa: A growing nation in every sense including report on Zimbabwe. By Luke Hutson, Chief Editor.

AGRONOMICS & ECONOMICS

72

Pores for thought: Foliar sprays and other topics from the 17th New Ag International Conference.

Report by Dr O Achilea, Contributing Editor.

PEOPLE & EVENTS

77

View this issue online at: www.newaginternational.com Front cover picture: Fieldwork Robotics Editorial and photo acknowledgements: University of Plymouth, UK

www.newaginternational.com

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Sirius Minerals signs European supply and distribution agreement with BayWa AG Sirius Minerals, which is developing a new polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire, UK, has agreed a 10-year supply and distribution agreement with BayWa Agri Supply and Trade (BAST) for its POLY4 product.

BAST is a subsidiary of agricultural distributor BayWa AG, headquartered in Munich, Germany with revenues of Eur16bn (2018).

BayWa distributes 30 million tonnes per year (t/y) of agricultural goods across Europe, including two million t/y of fertilizers. BAST intends to distribute POLY4, which is a multi-nutrient fertilizer containing potassium, sulphur, magnesium and calcium, through its Cefetra business.

The agreement provides for a guaranteed minimum volume of POLY4 across most of Europe for

a 10-year term that begins from the first production. The Woodsmith mine is scheduled for start-up in 2021. The guaranteed minimum volumes under the agreement increase to 2.5 million t/y in year five. The agreement also provides for an option for Sirius to elect for BAST to purchase and distribute additional volumes above the guaranteed volumes, said Sirius in its statement.

“The pricing mechanism in the Agreement is linked to the downstream pricing received by BAST on the sale of POLY4 in Europe,” reads the statement from Sirius.

“The price received by Sirius under the Agreement is determined by the price received by BAST with reference to benchmark pricing and the nature of the final

BAST customer. BAST is incentivised to sell the product further down the value chain (i.e. closer

to the farmgate) and to optimise the best FOB netback price for Sirius.”

Yara and IBM join forces on global digital farming platform YARA INTERNATIONAL AND IBM entered into an agreement in April 2019 to build a leading digital farming platform, providing holistic digital services and instant agronomic advice.

Yara and IBM Services will jointly innovate and commercialize digital agricultural solutions that will help increase global food production by drawing on Yara’s agronomic knowledge and IBM’s digital platforms and services in artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics.

According to Terje Knutsen, EVP Sales and Marketing with Yara, the two companies will develop digital solutions that empower professional and smallholder farmers to optimize farming practices to increase yields, crop quality and incomes in a sustainable way. “Our collaboration centres around a common goal to make a real difference in agriculture,” said Knutsen

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in a news release. “To be able to responsibly feed a growing population, it is critical that farmers increase food production on existing farmland to avoid deforestation.”

The joint global digital farming platform will apply artificial intelligence, machine learning and infield data to unlock new insights for farmers. The digital platform will have worldwide coverage and aspires to reach 100 million hectares of farmland – which is equivalent to twice the size of Spain or close to seven per cent of all arable land worldwide (World Bank, FAO), including millions of smallholder farms.

"As demand for food rises along with the world’s population, the digital farming platform will play a key role in increasing global farming yields in a sustainable way,” said Luq Niazi, IBM Global Managing Director Consumer Industries.

“The collaboration is a perfect symbiosis of IBM’s capabilities in AI, big data management and blockchain technology, and Yara’s agronomic knowledge, farmer-centric digital innovation and proven track record in improving farming across the globe.”

As a first step, Yara and IBM will establish joint innovation teams, collaborating at digital hubs in Europe, Singapore, the U.S. and Brazil.

The teams will work closely with IBM researchers to develop new capabilities, such as visual analytics and machine learning techniques for crop insights. The first services are planned for end 2019.

The Yara/IBM partnership will focus on all aspects of farm optimization.

One specific area of collaboration will be weather data. The ability to respond optimally to weather conditions is critical for farming. By merging analytical insights from

IBM’s Watson Studio, IBM PAIRS technology, The Weather Company and other services, with Yara’s crop knowledge and modelling capabilities, the joint platform will not only provide hyperlocal weather forecasts but will in addition give realtime actionable recommendations, tailored to the specific needs of individual fields/crops.

As the joint digital farming platform expands, the teams will explore innovative business solutions to integrate the joint platform into the IBM Food Trust, IBM’s blockchain-enabled network of food chain players. This will allow for greater traceability and supply chain efficiency as well as ways to tackle food fraud, food waste and sustainability. It will firmly link the farm into the full food chain, creating a holistic approach to food production from farm to plate.

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CNH Industrial N.V. brings connectivity to Brazilian agriculture CNH INDUSTRIAL N.V. in partnership with seven other companies, has developed ConectarAGRO, an initiative intended to consolidate and expand internet access across all of Brazil's agricultural regions.

The initiative enables rural producers to benefit from precision farming, digital and automated technological resources, while gaining access to new products and services enabled by connec-

tivity, resulting in business optimization. This initiative will further optimize Case IH and New Holland's agricultural machinery, CASE Construction Equipment and New Holland Construction

Italpollina acquires Florida-based company Horticultural Alliance ITALPOLLINA HAS ACQUIRED Florida-based company Horticultural Alliance, a specialist in mycorrhizal inoculants and beneficial bacteria.

Founded in 1997 by James J. Quinn, Horticultural Alliance provides Italpollina a second location in the USA, joining the recently

completed 70,000 sq. ft. North American Headquarters in Anderson, Indiana.

“We have made a commitment to meeting the demands of the North American market,” said Luca Bonini, CEO of Italpollina. “And we will continue our drive to develop production technologies and distribu-

tion strategies to support agriculture as well as other segments in need of sustainable solutions.”

Jon Leman, Commercial Vice President, Italpollina USA, Inc., added the acquisition would create more opportunity for Italpollina’s “Hello Nature” family of products in the US market.

machines, and IVECO commercial vehicles.

ConectarAGRO will promote open and standardized technologies, allowing more freedom and flexibility for the farmer, the ultimate user of these technologies. For this initiative, CNH Industrial partnered with AGCO, Bayer, Jacto, Nokia, Solinftec, TIM and Trimble. Each company involved in ConectarAGRO will contribute its expertise and market experience to help create a favourable ecosystem and improve and develop conditions for connectivity in the sector. There will be no joint development programs, nor production or marketing of equipment, products or services by these companies, which will continue to operate independently, without combining economic activities or sharing risks or results.

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Scientists develop harvesting robots that could revolutionize farming practices SCIENTISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH, UK, are developing technology that could assist fruit and vegetable growers with the challenges they face in harvesting crops.

Increasing demand for home grown produce, coupled with concern about workforce shortages in the wake of leaving the European Union, are leaving farmers across the UK facing a new set of pressures. To try and overcome this, researchers are working with producers in Cornwall to create robots that can work alongside existing workforces and ensure any gaps in productivity are filled.

The Automated Brassica harvesting in Cornwall (ABC) project is being led by Lecturer in Robotics, Dr. Martin Stoelen, with key agricultural expertise provided by Professor of Plant Physiology Mick Fuller. It also involves strategic partner Teagle Machinery Ltd in Truro, and partners Riviera Produce in Hayle and CNC Design Ltd in St Columb Major.

It has secured funding from AgriTech Cornwall, a three-year, £10million initiative part-funded by the European Regional Devel-

opment Fund, with match-funding from Cornwall Council.

Stoelen has previously developed technology that can harvest soft fruit, and is now refocusing that to assist with the picking of cauliflower, broccoli, kale and cabbage, which are extensively grown in Cornwall.

With such robots recording images and touch-data from all over a field in real time, they also bring the possibility of gathering information that could be a variety of

ways, potentially extending their application to beyond harvest.

Stoelen believes the machines could be repurposed during the growing season, allowing the core technology to be rolled out to other fieldwork operations, and it could also be relevant to other brassicas and crops.

Through this project, and his spinout company Fieldwork Robotics Ltd, he is also exploring potential business models which would bring the technology to

market within two to three years and which could involve the machines being owned by contractors, with farmers buying in the service when required.

Fieldwork Robotics was recently granted £550,000 to accelerate the development of its raspberryharvesting robot system. The grant, from the Innovate UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), will enable Fieldwork Robotics to create a multi-armed mobile robot prototype. It builds on industry backing the company gained in August 2018, when it signed a collaboration agreement with the Hall Hunter Partnership, a leading UK soft-fruit grower supplying Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Waitrose.

Stoelen is also working on a tomato-picking project in partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which has received funding from the Agri-Tech in China: Newton Network+ (ATCNN) fund.

To support further development of its flexible and adaptable robotics technology, Fieldwork Robotics is expected to seek further funding from institutional and private investors during 2019.

Drone technology can aid irrigation operations ENGINEERS AT AUSTRALIA’S MONASH UNIVERSITY are working with Australian farmers to help them improve irrigation practices, reduce water use and maximize crop harvest by using autonomous drone technology.

Led by Professor Jeff Walker, the Monash University research team has spent the past two years developing a dronebased autonomous soil moisture mapping system for irrigated paddocks.

The team has recently completed

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field experiments using optical mapping which can determine soil moisture levels in the nearsurface. The data taken from the drone can be downloaded and used to produce a map of ground soil moisture levels to inform the farmer on how best to irrigate the paddock.

While equipped with optical mapping as a proof-of-concept, the drone has now advanced to passive microwave sensing technology using L-Band waves, with further research being conducted on

the potential for using P-band waves. P-Band waves are expected to be able to measure up to 15 centimetres into the soil unimpeded by vegetation and tillage features.

Drones have the capacity to analyze soil moisture at metre-level scales within a paddock, allowing farmers to focus on specific crop irrigation, and overcomes the challenges of aircraft or satellite mapping. Testing has taken place across two farms in regional Victoria and Tasmania. One was at a

dairy farm using a centre pivot irrigator and the other was a crop farm using a linear shift irrigator.

According to Walker, too much water can be as much a problem as too little. But if the soil is too wet, crops can not only fail but pests and diseases can flourish.

“We need to know how much the crop needs, how much moisture is already there and apply just the right amounts of water in the correct places to avoid wastage while keeping the crop at its peak growth.”

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Prekese seeds as natural fungicide SEED RESEARCH SCIENTISTS at the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) have identified the seed of prekese (Tetrapleura tetraptera), as one of the most potent natural remedies to control the destructive activities of some harmful fungi in agricultural production and food security in Ghana. Known as Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium moniliforme, these fungi attack both pre-harvest and post-harvest cereal grains, legumes and the nuts as its primary hosts, making the food harmful for human consumption.

A study, published in the 2017 FORIG annual research report, stated the seed of prekese was

extracted with ethanol and tested as a fungicide on the two commercially important fungi.

According to the study, results showed the inhibition properties of the extract on both fungi soared when concentrations of the extract was increased.

The least significant difference revealed the fungicidal activity of 10 per cent prekese concentration on the two fungi were “very significant.”

This, according to the report, meant that, prekese seeds could be explored and used as an important naturally potent fungicide to replace or, as an alternative to the synthetic ones.

Irrigation research – in space?

FARMERS IRRIGATING THEIR CROPS may soon be getting some help from space. In 2018, scientists launched ECOSTRESS, a new instrument now attached to the International Space Station.

Its mission: to gather data on how plants use water across the world.

The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) helps scientists answer three broad questions: How do plants respond to drought? What’s happening with plants’ water use over the course of a day? Can vulnerability

to drought be reduced through more monitoring?

“Technically, the instruments are measuring surface temperature, which reflects the heat stress of plants,” said Joshua Fisher of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and science lead on the ECOSTRESS mission. “By measuring the temperature, we are able to tell how much water plants are using. For example, if you have two plants and water one, the one that has more water will be cooler.”

The temperature measurement

ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of plants and use that information to better understand how much water plants need and how they respond to stress.

can be compared to holding a hand over hot sand at the beach.

Even without touching the sand, a person can tell it’s hot. That’s the kind of energy ECOSTRESS picks up.

And the system is taking measurements at various times of day, thanks to the Space Station’s unique orbit. That’s important because plants function differently throughout the day.

Using the temperature data from ECOSTRESS, scientists are able to calculate evapotranspiration – the amount of water evaporating

from the surface of the Earth and from plants. “Evapotranspiration is the number one climatic predictor of biodiversity. When you have a lot of water and energy, you have a lot of life,” said Fisher.

“And for farmers, this information is the number one requirement for irrigation. It’s useful for them to know how much to water plants. And it helps indicate future droughts and weather changes.”

Having this kind of information can tell researchers how much water is going up into the atmosphere and also how much energy is being used to do that. It can also show which plants are being more efficient with their water and which are stressed because they don’t have enough. It can do this on a surprisingly small scale: down to 230 square feet.

The project is an international collaboration. Astronauts performed a six-hour spacewalk to prepare for ECOSTRESS to arrive. A Canadian robotic arm took ECOSTRESS off its cargo spacecraft and passed it to the Japanese robotic arm for installation. ECOSTRESS uses the space station’s power and communications to collect data and send it down to Fisher and his team.

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An interview with Jai Shroff, CEO, UPL On 1 February 2019, UPL announced the completion of its acquisition of Arysta LifeScience from Platform Specialty Products for US$4.2 billion. Signed in July 2018, the deal creates the fifth largest agrochemical company in the world by revenue. On 4 February, CEO Jai Shroff and two members of his management team, Global COO Carlos Pellicer and Head of Europe at UPL Hildo Brilleman, spoke to NewAg’s Chief Editor Luke Hutson at UPL’s London office.

UPL has done a number of acquisitions throughout its history and has enjoyed year-on-year growth. With the Arystra acquisition, you have taken on debt of $3bn.

When you were at the point of decision, what were the compelling arguments that convinced you this was the right course of action?

“Complementary” is the word that Shroff opened with and used several times through the discussion. “We are seeing more and more benefits of putting the companies together,” he continued. “There was nothing to divest [for regulatory checks] which shows how complementary.”

The transaction is also backed by $1.2 billion equity investment from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and TPG. Obviously, you’ve taken on debt, so it’s a long-term play.

But that won’t stop people paying close attention to the figures. Are the optimization synergies from the acquisition – estimated at $200 million – still on track?

“There is no pressure from the banks,” said Shroff. “They are willing to give more money. The Arysta business is extremely ro-

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(L-R) Amanda Owen, Jai Shroff, Luke Hutson New Ag International, Carlos Pellicer, Hildo Brilleman.

bust. We’re on course for $1 billion EBITA.” Carlos Pellicer said UPL is experienced at managing finances across many countries.

“So, this is not new for us,” Shroff added.

Arysta (which is an EBIC member) is number 2 in the world for biostimulants, according to your transaction presentation. How do you see the biocontrol and biostimulants markets combining with UPL product offering?

“Arysta was the first company to establish that you can run biosolutions and chemicals. Prior to Arysta, there was skepticism if this could be done. UPL also has a portfolio of biostimulants. Arysta gave us confidence,” said Shroff.

What’s the secret to combining bio and conventional [crop protection] products?

Shroff emphasized you need to believe in the strategy and show tangible results to customers. “[The] products need to work,

need to solve a problem; if you haven’t got that, then you can’t sell anything,” he said. To emphasise the length of time Arysta has been in the bio-space, Pellicer points to Arysta’s acquisition of French company Goëmar, which took place in 2014. Based in Saint-Malo, and having built its production plant in 2011, Goëmar manufactures biostimulant products under the Appetizer range, and biocontrol under Vacciplant brand. The acquisition also brings into the sphere of slow- and controlled-release fertilizers. Arysta has distribution rights in North America for a coated NPK controlled-release fertilizer Nutricote. Shroff indicated controlled-release fertilizers was an area of interest for UPL in the future.

Let’s look a little at the regional footprints of the UPL and Arysta. I’ve read a lot about the complementary geographies of the two companies. Latin America is where UPL makes the highest percentage of revenue (33 per cent in fiscal

year (FY) 2018). Arysta is also present there, but UPL tends to be strong in row crops; Arysta strong in fruits.

How do you leverage that capability?

Brilleman brings up the ban on neonicotinoids for oilseed rape and the potential for biocontrol to fill the gap. “It’s not about direct substitution,” he stressed.

Different approaches can be taken to achieve the best yield and marketing quality.

Arysta increases UPL’s exposure in Europe – 39 per cent of Arysta sales are in Europe. It was a tough market in the summer of 2018 in Europe because of the dry weather – some analysts thought this might have an impact on revenue?

Some companies have a large exposure to cereals in Europe, said Brilleman. But UPL-Arysta is less exposed than other companies.

“We have a legacy of out-growing the market,” he added.

Looking at the half-year to September 2018 results released

by UPL, it seems the impact was

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not as significant as analysts had projected. Revenue was slightly up: US$850 million up from $823 million, an increase of 3.2 per cent, with gross profit at $327 million up from $302 million.

EU re-registrations are falling – the number of biological patents were higher in 2017 than conventional. What does this mean for your business?

Biocontrol and conventional crop protection products “will co-exist,” according to Brilleman.

“New conventional AIs certainly have a future, but biocontrol will grow at a faster pace.” But once again adding the caveat this will not be direct substitution. “The crop program will become more important. [One] needs to consider the interaction of crop protection and biostimulants. I’m no agronomist, but a more robust plant can deal with biotic stress,” said Brilleman.

To close, Pellicer introduces UPL’s vision to be a leader in an open agricultural network, under the network name of OpenAg. It aims to promote open minded, win-win partnerships, broadening the space to create value along a wider food production network, according to the company release. Interestingly, this includes open intelligence – data from trials, for example.

“Agriculture will go through a paradigm shift to be more sustainable. We don’t believe it will only come from our side, but also from the network that UPL works with,” said Brilleman.

“Co-creation with distributors and farmers.”

So, will there be a new name for the combined entity?

According to Pellicer and Brilleman, it will have UPL in the title, but there will be new branding possibly to come at some point in Q2 2019.

Nematodes respond when resistant rootworms attack RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE, USA AND THE USDA have discovered an indirect defensive strategy used by hybrid corn plants that provides some recourse against western corn rootworms. Ivan Hiltpold, assistant professor of entomology and wildlife ecology in UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the USDA’s Bruce Hibbard, who leads plant genetics research at the University of Missouri, published their findings in the Journal of Economic Entomology.

Western corn rootworms encountered significant setbacks when growers started planting hybrid corn plants, genetically engineered to produce insecticidal toxins from a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). When a susceptible rootworm attacked a hybrid corn plant, the toxin usually killed it, arresting the damage.

After about a decade of effectiveness, western corn rootworms developed resistance to Bt corn.

But it turns out that Bt corn wasn’t helpless. Hiltpold and Hibbard found that when a resistant rootworm chomps into this plant, causing advanced damage, the hybrid sends out a specific chemical signal that is something like throwing chum into the ocean as shark bait. In this case, the organic compound sent out by the corn plant attracts nematodes, small wriggling wormlike creatures that feed on these rootworm larvae.

You might call it the nematode dinner bell defense. The chemicals tell every nematode within range that dinner is ready and rootworm larvae are on the menu.

This is great news for the nematodes, but a new vulnerability for the resistant rootworm – some-

thing agricultural economists call a “fitness cost,” a tradeoff that explains how a newly acquired trait costs an organism something in development or ability to reproduce.

Breeding corn to grow bigger ears, for example, may have implications for the corn’s future. It may lose certain traits that smaller-eared corn maintains.

“This is the first case where we saw some sort of fitness cost associated with resistance – and it’s a different slant on fitness cost than anybody thought of before,” Hibbard said. “The only reason the nematodes are targeting these resistant insects is that they are doing more damage.”

The western corn rootworm’s resistance to this hybrid corn has exposed it to another layer of defense – the compounds that are

emitted only to beckon nematodes when this resistant rootworm attacks. The compounds are not emitted when non-resistant insects attack the corn because the damage to the plant is not great enough to trigger the defense.

“So if you use the right cultivar with these nematodes, you have a chance to control this resistant population,” Hiltpold said. “It’s a way to manage this resistant pest and it is less likely to evolve further resistance.”

Nematodes can be expensive to introduce as an applied defense, Hiltpold said. They are not an economical way of prophylactically managing western corn rootworm populations. But they can be used to treat problem areas and pockets of resistance, he said.

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Plant growth-promoting bacteria for ecological improvement of rapeseed crops The use of biofertilizers for field crops is still relatively rare, so when New Ag International heard about a project in which Paula García-Fraile, PhD was the principal investigator, we decided to find out more with a rapid-fire Q&A. The project title is Bioferticellulaser (Grant ID 750795), coordinated by Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.

What was the main problem(s) this project was looking to solve?

For example, why were rapeseed crops chosen?

Crop yields can be enhanced by plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria, naturally-occurring microbes that modulate plant growth because of their metabolic activities and can be applied to the crops as biofertilizers. Nevertheless, most of the biofertilizers designed based on in vitro studies fail when applied in the fields [in vitro - studies taking place outside of normal biological context]. This failure could be because, once applied in the soils, in vitro-selected PGP bacteria must compete with a wide variety of microorganisms present in the soil and get adapted to the different abiotic conditions of each environment (tem-

perature range, waterdesiccation periods, etc.). This fact raises the interest of the PGP potential of bacterial endophytes – those bacteria with the ability to enter inside the root – since once inside the plant, they do not need to compete with the dense population of bacteria in the rhizosphere and they are protected from extreme abiotic conditions.

To design efficient biofertilizers based on PGP bacteria able to enter the plant, not only PGP capabilities but also the mechanisms allowing endophytes to enter their hosts must be elucidated, being the aim of this research project.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) was chosen as a model culture due to its importance not only as food resource (human and animal) but also as bioenergy crop.

Electronic micrograph of three plant growth-promoting bacteria over a rapeseed root. Images courtesy of Oldrich Benada, Czech Academy of Science.

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Can you summarize the main objectives of the project and the parts performed by the research group?

The main objective of the project was to find if plant growthpromoting bacteria, which own mechanisms allowing them to enter inside the roots, can act as efficient bacterial biofertilizers under field conditions. The research work was coordinated by the University of Salamanca in collaboration with the Czech Academy of Sciences.

The project was funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 programme.

What trials were performed and where?

From a collection of plant growth-promoting bacterial endophytes obtained from crops growing in several regions of Spain, we selected one of the best bacteria, according to in vitro tests and plant growth test in plant growth chambers.

On the one hand, we studied the genes of the bacteria related to the entrance to the plant, using cutting-edge technologies of next generation sequencing. On the other hand, we made tests of plant growth promotion in greenhouse conditions and we are also performing field trials to compare the yields of plots containing rapeseed plant inoculated with a suspension of the bacteria with uninoculated ones.

The project ended in May 2019 – what were the key results of the project?

How has the result helped in the design of efficient biofertilizers?

The greenhouse experiments showed that the bacterium is able to promote plant growth and, surprisingly, it induces the plant resistance to the attack of pathogens and salt stress conditions. These field trials are still ongoing, but the plant inoculated with the bacteria are visually better developed than those with no bacteria.

Moreover, we found that some genes of the bacteria seem to be crucial, not only for the entrance of the bacteria into the plant roots but are also directly related to its capability to promote rapeseed’s growth: when we interrupt those genes, the inoculated plants show a much lesser growth.

What is the next step for this research?

We will test the results of the field trials to prove the capability of the bacterium to promote crop yields under field conditions.

If the positive preliminary results are confirmed, we will try to get funds to repeat the trials in other soils with different physicochemical conditions and under other climates. If the results are consistent, we aim to formulate the strain and patent this formulation to be used as a new efficient biofertilizer for rapeseed.

We also plan to go further in the analysis of those genes which showed to be essential for the bacterium to promote plant’s growth.

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N E W S R E V I E W

Spreading hydroponic farming technologies across India ON 9 APRIL 2019, Farms 2050 of Bangalore and AmHydro of Arcata, California, celebrated the grand opening of what is the largest commercial hydroponic farm in India to date. Farms 2050 and AmHydro partnered to develop an effective controlled environ-

Solar irrigation solution A SOLAR IRRIGATION SOLUTION IN UGANDA is providing farmers with improved productivity and other benefits.

Azuri Technologies’ GrowFast solar irrigation systemffers farmers an innovative and affordable payas-you-go solar irrigation bundle that includes a smartphone with GrowFast app, as well as crop insurance cover.

Conventional farming that relies only on rainfall for irrigation limits the number and type of crops that can be grown each year. The solar irrigation system is designed to improve productivity, income generation, and living standards of small-holder farmers by enabling farmers to keep their crops watered all year long.

With a customized pay-as-you-go plan, this platform allows farmers to pay for their solar out of the increased profits from additional harvests. Azuri GrowFast comes with insurance cover in the event of unexpected crop loss.

GrowFast was named the winner of the Uganda renewable energy fund launched by the UNCleanStart programme and Embassy of Sweden.

ment agricultural (CEA) facility that provides local growers with the ability to produce large volumes of nutritious, high quality crops, all while using less water than conventional farming techniques.

The first (of many) new hydroponic farms in Bangalore include a 45,000-plus square foot climatecontrolled greenhouse, highly productive AmHydro hydroponic growing systems, and a 5,000 square foot packing house with processing, cooling and shipping facilities. Each technology was carefully chosen to provide the

highest level of performance while also remaining economically sustainable and providing growers with a fast return on investment. The initial farm features systems to produce both leaf crops (culinary herbs, lettuce, and greens), as well as vine crops (peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers).

The local farming team was trained in all aspects of high-level hydroponic crop production; from proper seed selection, germination, crop production techniques to harvest, processing, storage and food safety. Professional film crews

were on hand to assist in the production of instructional videos, providing present and future farmers with growing guidance and information.

Farms 2050 and AmHydro have also signed a mutual memorandum of understanding with the support of Indian government officials to develop additional sustainable, high producing hydroponic farms across the region. The primary goal of this venture is to improve the economic empowerment of local farmers as well as providing high quality vegetables, greens and fruits to their communities.

Precision Indoor Plants Consortium aims to revolutionize agriculture

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THE U.S.’S FOUNDATION FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE RESEARCH (FFAR) is launching the Precision Indoor Plants (PIP) Consortium, a public-private partnership that will help develop flavourful, nutritious crops specially intended for indoor agriculture.

Sustainably feeding a growing global population requires researchers to examine innovative food production approaches. One approach gaining traction is controlled environment agriculture (CEA), also known as indoor agriculture. Worldwide, interest in indoor agriculture is booming. Yet, CEA research largely focuses on design elements for the indoor systems, such as vertical productions facilities and lighting, not the plants themselves. PIP seeks to understand which environmental and genetic factors help crops thrive indoors.

The PIP collaborative convenes a

diverse array of participants representing aspects of the indoor agriculture industry. The collaborative pools resources to fund joint research that produces nutritious, flavourful crops that can grow anywhere, year-round, profitably.

PIP’s research will explore increasing nutrient content and yields, growing crops with less energy and understanding how crops perform best in CEAs. Today, CEA is successfully growing lettuce and other leafy greens profitably. PIP’s research seeks to make CEA an option for growing a variety of crops, including leafy greens and herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and blueberries. Initial PIP projects will focus on improving nutritional content and changing the size and shape of the plant.

This research has implications for a wide variety of agricultural environments, including outdoor agri-

culture and space. For farmers planning outdoors, PIP’s research has the potential to reduce strain on the environment, make crops more resilient to stresses, bolster food and nutritional security and shorten the supply chain for producers. The research is also useful for government agencies and corporations interested in growing food in space for long-term space exploration.

FFAR is investing $7.5 million in PIP, and with matching funds from participants, the consortium will invest a minimum of $15 million to develop flavourful, nutritious crops for indoor agriculture. PIP’s participants represent world-class indoor growers, breeders, genetics companies and agricultural equipment leaders, including AeroFarms, BASF, Benson Hill Biosystems, Fluence Bioengineering, Intrexon, Japan Plant Factory Association and Priva.

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News June 19.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 15:53 Page 9

N E W S R E V I E W

Zimbabwe considers climate smart irrigation policy THE ZIMBABWE GOVERNMENT is working on a climate smart irrigation policy framework to combat the current drought conditions, according to the country’s agriculture deputy minister Vangelis Haritatos.

This comes as a recent World Bank report found that Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector loses US$126 million per annum due to production risks largely associated with drought and other weather-related events.

The current 2018-19 agricultural season is currently facing drought.

The climate smart irrigation would see government providing irrigation to help provide small- and large-scale farmers with enough water for their crops in seasons plagued by drought conditions.

Drought conditions affect the main food and cash crops in Zimbabwe which include maize, wheat, small grains (millets and

sorghum), tobacco, cotton, sugar, horticulture (food and non-food) and groundnuts.

“As you know, we are trying to regrow our economy again and this (climate change) is something that, maybe 10 years ago, we did not know about. Now, we have to use revenue that we should have used for other production, productivity or growing our private sectors and manufacturing to actually go towards investing in this climate smart irrigation that we have to do,” Haritatos said.

He said part of the redesigning involved assisting farmers to mechanize in the wake of a 33,000 tractor deficit and other farming implements.

According to the inaugural Agricultural Sector Survey 2018-2019 report prepared by CBZ Bank, the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society and the Financial Gazette released in April, climatic changes

has severely impacted farming.

Agriculture plays a key role in Zimbabwe, contributing 11 per cent to the total gross domestic product and remains the main source of

livelihood for around 67 per cent of the country’s population.

For more on Zimbabwe, see the Regional Report elsewhere in the magazine.

Shenzhen Techwah, COMPO Expert ink strategic partnership SHENZHEN TECHWAH AND COMPO EXPERT have signed a strategic partnership agreement.

The agreement includes a wide portfolio of COMPO Expert products, such as the macro, secondary and micronutrient foliar fertilizers, biostimulants, water-soluble fertilizers, and slow- and control-released fertilizers.

TechWah covers the South China

market, comprised of 16 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions south of the Yangzi River.

Techwah celebrated its 10-year anniversary in March 2019.

The company was founded in 2009 and has become the leading crop nutrient distributor in southern China.

TechWah is also the distributor of K+S in China.

EU Parliament votes to approve new fertilizer regulation

Iran constructs 3,000 hectares of greenhouses in 2018

EARLIER THIS SPRING, the EU Parliament voted to approve the new fertilizer regulation 2016/0084. This regulation is the first key step towards creating an EU-wide market for biostimulants.

Included within the regulation is a formally agreed definition of biostimulants and a three-year period to create the rules for placing

IRAN’S MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE-JIHAD has said 3,000 hectares of greenhouses were created in the country in 2018, adding to the 15,000 total hectares of greenhouses in the country.

According to Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati, greenhouse products have a good export market, with many customers in the

them on the EU market with a Circular Economy (CE) mark. It is predicted this will help foster further growth and innovation in the biostimulant sector and provide growers with more clarity on these products. The regulation also allows for continued technological progress and development as the biostimulant industry grows and evolves.

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Persian Gulf countries. He also stated the government is specifically supporting the development of greenhouses, and also mentioned that good and inexpensive facilities are available to farmers in this area.

Two years ago, the Ministry of Agriculture stated all vegetable farms will be transferred to greenhouses within 10 years.

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News June 19.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 15:53 Page 10

N E W S R E V I E W

Stamicarbon gets ready for the future UREA TECHNOLOGY provider Stamicarbon outlined its plans for the next decade in its launch of Vision 2030 at its Future Day held in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 4. Part of Maire Tecnimont, Stamicarbon licences its urea technology around the world and currently accounts for around 44 per cent of the world’s installed urea capacity.

Stamicarbon CEO Pejman Djavdan said the company was committed to increasing its expenditure on innovation. This includes further developments in the field of specialty fertilizers, as already witnessed with Stamicarbon’s partnership with specialty fertilizer producer Pursell Agri-Tech in the USA. As well as coatings technology, Stamicarbon has developed a production technique for using urea as a carrier for micronutrients, so-called seed-core technology. The company has also im-

When presenting Stamicarbon’s vision, CEO Pejman Djavdan (left) said the company was committed to increasing its expenditure on innovation.

proved the digitization of its urea plants, leading to greater efficiency and cost-savings.

Stamicarbon is looking to be part of the drive to see how renewable energy can be used in the production of nitrogen fertilizers. Djavdan mentioned this in the context of Africa where logistic costs in

some parts of the continent can add greatly to the cost of fertilizer to the end-user.

Also speaking at the event was Taylor Pursell, Chairman of Pursell Agri-Tech. He showed a timeline of technological break-throughs in fertilizer technology, which revealed that it has been some

decades since a major stepchange was made.

Futurist and trend watcher Richard van Hooijdonk opened the event program by sharing a vision of the future of agriculture, touching on biotech, drones, artficial intelligence and vertical/urban farming.

...and the future could be Cyber Agriculture ONE ANSWER TO WHAT THE FUTURE of farming could look like was offered in April by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Researchers in MIT’s Media Lab’s Open Agriculture Initiative used

machine-learning algorithms to determine the optimum growing conditions for basil plants. According to the study, these conditions produced the maximum concentration of flavour molecules known as volatile compounds.

MIT Researchers have used machine-learning algorithms to determine the optimum growing conditions for basil plants.

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In their study of basil plants, which appears in the April 3, 2019 issue of PLOS ONE, the researchers were surprised to find that exposing plants to light 24 hours a day generated the best flavour. Traditional agricultural techniques would never have yielded that insight, says John de la Parra, research lead for the OpenAg group and an author of the study.

This has been described as the beginning of a new field of “cyber agriculture,” says Caleb Harper, a principal research scientist in MIT’s Media Lab and director of the OpenAg group.

The researchers are now studying the effects of tuning other environmental variables such as temperature, humidity and the colour of light, as well as the effects of adding plant hormones or nutrients. In one study, the researchers

are exposing plants to chitosan, a polymer found in insect shells, which makes the plant produce different chemical compounds to ward off insect attack.

An application for cyber agriculture could be to find rapid adaptations to climate change. While it usually takes years or decades to study how different conditions will affect crops, in a controlled agricultural environment, many experiments can be done in a short period of time, the article explained.

“When you grow things in a field, you have to rely on the weather and other factors to cooperate, and you have to wait for the next growing season,” de la Parra says.

“With systems like ours, we can vastly increase the amount of knowledge that can be gained much more quickly.”

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P L A N T P ROT E C T I O N C O R N E R

Biocontrol in Brazil:

Buoyant Brazilian market set for high growth rates The biocontrol market in Brazil showed a jump in market value in 2018, registering a growth in sales of 77 per cent according to the Brazilian Association of Biological Control Companies (ABCBio). What is behind this growth? A survey conducted

by ABCBio and Informa’s Agribusiness Consulting has helped to unearth some of the key drivers.

New Ag International Latin American Correspondent, Patricio Trebilcock reports how Brazil, the second largest agricultural exporter in the world, is embracing biocontrol.

MARKET VALUE INCREASES The Brazilian biocontrol industry had a strong year in 2018. Sales grew by 77 per cent based on estimated sales of R 464.5 million (US$113 million) in 2018, up from R262 millions (US$64 million) in 2017, according to ABCBio data released in March 2019.

Having sensed momentum in the market, ABCBio and Agribusiness Consulting, a division of Informa Agribusiness, partnered in 2018 to conduct a survey and use that as the basis for a report on the biocontrol market in Brazil.

The survey helped to define the profile of the biocontrol product users, their adherence to technologies and brands, how often they purchase biocontrol products and their control targets. In total, the survey contacted roughly 1,975 farmers of which 683 where interviewed in their own farms. The survey was released in Q4 2018.

One of the conclusions reported was that there is huge shift in biocontrol perception. Indeed, 96 per cent of the farmers interviewed are certain there will be a huge jump in biocontrol products consumption in the next five years.

According to Richard Brostowicz, CEO of FNP (part of Informa Agribusiness) which conducted the survey, there were surprising findings. “I had thought the maket value for Brazil would be greater than expected. With a [predicted] market value of about US$165 million, I had thought the Brazilian market would represent more than five to six per cent of the global

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market,” he notes. “However, looking at the main crops and cultivated areas, this market value seems to be in line with Brazil’s focus on row crops and small, yet growing market for fruits and vegetables and organics.”

Another surprise for Brostowicz was the low brand awareness level. Only six brands were well known among users and nonusers and it “was apparent that Brazilian farmers are not getting enough data and information from the suppliers and other sources with regard to technical literature.”

A major barrier for driving the growth of biocontrol in Brazil is well-defined legislation. Positive actions to drive the growth, notes Brostowicz, is the need for major players in the sector to publish and disseminate results of demos, both for registration and commercial purposes, and that companies seriously investing in biopesticides give greater attention to “word of mouth,” field days and new internet tools and apps.

Although not brought out in the Brazilian survey, low commodity prices have an impact on farmers’ intent to try or test new products.

Brostowicz says this cycle has been seen with foliar fertilizers and biostimulants.

“With commodity prices at a low, farmers propensity to try new products is limited,” he notes.

“Another factor that may impair growth in the near future is related to new GMO and gene-edited products. As more effective seed

traits are commercially released, such new launches may have a negative impact on biopesticide sales and use.”

The most consumed biocontrol products in Brazil are Bacillus sp (many types), baculoviruses, Beauveria, Cotesia, Metarhizium, Paecilomyces, Pochonia, Trichoderma and Trichogramma. And in terms of crops, the most important are soybean, sugar cane, coffee, vegetables and fruits.

According to the survey, 10 million hectares (ha) are currently treated with biological defenses in Brazil.

No fewer than 39 per cent of Brazilian farmers claim to use organic products, while 98 per cent of respondents who used biological defenses in the 2017-18 crop year said they intend to also use them during the next harvest.

The most cited factors for the decision to use biodefensives are the efficiency of the control, mentioned by 76 per cent of the producers surveyed, and the safety of the application, indicated by 60 per cent of those questioned. On the other hand, 43 per cent of rural producers said they were not familiar with biodefensives. In terms of biological assets, the study found that microbiologicals predominate, both in terms of area cultivated (80 per cent) and in values traded (89 per cent) in the Brazilian market for biological defenses. Another finding of the study: 92 per cent of the products used are registered in the Ministry of Livestock and Supply. The main

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crops in Brazil are soybeans (35 million ha), corn (16 million ha), sugar cane (nine million ha), wheat (two million ha), fruit crops (2.5 million ha) and more than 165 million ha of pastures.

ABCBio: LEADING THE LOCAL BIOCONTROL INDUSTRY The Brazilian biocontrol industry was founded by research centres, and medium and small companies.

The first biocontrol normative was released in 2006 and in 2007 14 companies founded the local association, ABCBio. Today, ABCBio is a strong organization and a founding member of Bioprotection Global (BPG).

ABCBio currently has 22 members: AgriValle, Arysta LifeScience, Ballagro, BASF, Bayer CropScience, Biocontrol, Biocana, Biocontrole, Biotrop, Biovalens, Laboratório Farroupilha, FMC, Ihara, Lonza, Koppert, Novozymes, Ourofino Agrociencia, Promip, Simbiose, Stoller, Sumitomo Chemical and Provivi do Brasil.

EMBRAPA: THE SCIENCE BEHIND AGRICULTURAL GROWTH Key to Brazilian agriculture success has been the National Agriculture Research System, conducted by Embrapa (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria), the national ag research company.

Since its foundation in 1973, Embrapa’s main achievements have been to increase grain production fourfold, generating the science and technology that allowed farming in Brazil’s huge savannah – also known as Cerrado – and becoming the world leader in knowledge about tropical agriculture. It is said that for every R$1 that Brazil invests in Embrapa, R$9,35 comes back to society. Knowledge-based agriculture has been key to Brazilian development, and this will also be the case for the biocontrol industry.

Brazil is the second largest agricultural exporter in the world after the USA, and it is predicted it will be the largest one in 10 years. This has been a transformation, considering that Brazil was a net food importer during the 1970s. And this was accomplished with the incorporation of science and technology into the agricultural system. Embrapa has played a pivotal role in this revolution.

Brazil has a national integrated agricultural research system. There are 17 state research networks, Embrapa has 46 research centres and the private sector contributes their own research projects. In the State of São Paulo alone, there are 3,000 medium and small companies creating new agricultural technologies. And these efforts are constantly orchestrated by Embrapa.

Embrapa’s main contributions to Brazilian agriculture can be summarized in three concepts: the development of programs to adapt crops and livestock to tropical conditions; the transformation of poor acidic soils into fertile soils (mainly in the Cerrado region); and, the development of sustainable agricultural practices (zero till, the integration of crops/livestock/forestry, etc.).

In terms of sustainability, the development of nitrogen-fixing bacteria allows Brazil to save US$10 billion annually on fertilizers. And the crops/livestock/ forestry integration program is already being applied on 11 million ha.

Embrapa released its 2014-2034 plan and set eight priorities. Two of them are directly linked to biocontrol: new sciences (biotechnology, nanotechnology and geotechnology) and green chemistry. In recent years, Brazil had huge harvests, producing more than 200 millions MT of grains. This is set to continue. But this success has also brought some major risks such as

the arrival of dangerous plagues and diseases. One of the major problems has been the arrival of Helicoverpa armigera. But pundits estimate there are at least 150 other plagues that can enter the country.

Since 2013, Embrapa has implemented more than 300 biocontrol projects. There are more tan 150 Embrapa scientists and more than 70 external scientists devoted to these projects.

Embrapa looks after the National Genetic Bank and the National Biological Resources Centre, it has collections of bacteria, fungi and entomopathogenic viruses, collections of antagonists, microorganism databases and specific collections for strategic crops. It has also launched biocontrol products in partnerships with private companies.

A HUGE PORTFOLIO OF BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS It is not easy to gather precise statistics about the use of biocontrol in Brazil, but most market commentators estimate these technologies are used in at least seven million ha. According to a study published by Wagner Bettiol, Luiz Antonio Mafa, Maria Luiza Marcico y Publio de Castro in 2014 the species that had been registered by then were: baculovirus Anticarsia and Condylorrhiza vestigialis nucleopoly hedrovirus (virus), Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus (bacteria), Aspergillus avus NRRL 21882, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Trichoderma asperellum, Trichoderma stromaticum and Trichoderma harzianum (fungi), Steinernema puertoricense (nematode), Ceratitis capitata (sterile), Cotesia flavipes, Neoseiulus californicus and Trichogramma galloi (parasitoids). In terms of sales, the most important species are Cotesia and

Trichogramma to control the sugar cane borer Diatraea saccharalis, used in 3.5 and 0.5 million ha, respectively. Metarhizium anisopliae is used to control Mahanarva in at least two million ha of sugar cane. It has been estimated the different species of Trichoderma are used in three million ha, especially to control Sclerotinia in soybeans. Bacillus thuringiensis is used in at least 300,000 ha to control Lepidoptera and baculovirus Anticarsia to control Anticarsia gemmatalis in 300,000 ha of soybean.

SUGAR CANE: A BIOCONTROL PROJECT OF SCALE The use of biocontrol has been used effectively on sugar cane in Brazil. It has primarily targeted the main plagues that affect this crop in Brazil: D. saccharalis and M. fimbriolata. In order to control D. saccharalis, 3.3 million ha are treated with C. flavipes. In 2010, T. galloi was used on 500,000 ha to control the eggs of the sugar cane borer (Parra et al., 2010a).

Mahanarva fimbriolata is controlled with the fungi M. anisopliae, in at least two million ha.

Many sugar cane producers (ethanol companies) have established their own biocontrol laboratories and produce and liberate their own insects. It has been estimated there are at least 55 labs that belong to sugar cane companies. Members of the local biocontrol industry say that most of these labs have not technically evolved in the last several years and they see a great potential to service the sugar cane industry with new and better products.

Report featured: Brazilian Market for BioPesticides: Needs, Opportunities, Challenges and Trends.

Joint report by Agribusiness Consulting, part of Informa's Agribusiness Intelligence and ABCBio.

www.newaginternational.com

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