The future of crop protection is about more than a molecule

Expect more formulations with environmental benefits

Karen Davidson

Where has all the innovation gone? To formulations, says Cornie Thiessen, ADAMA Agricultural Solutions’ Canadian general manager, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

ADAMA is an Israeli-headquartered, crop protection supplier that’s betting its future on proprietary formulation.

ADAMA’s insecticide Cormoran is a good example with two active ingredients: acetamiprid and novaluron. The dual-mode insecticide knocks down and provides residual control of codling moth, pear psylla, leafroller and Colorado potato beetle. The label has also been extended for use on spotted wing drosophila, good news for blueberry growers. The product is useful because it specifically targets both the egg and larval stages of this invasive pest. Most importantly, its formulation is an emulsifiable concentrate, making it easy to tank mix with water.

Another product in the ADAMA portfolio is Folpan fungicide with activity on downy and powdery mildew in grapes says Rob Bahry, product development manager, ADAMA. “This product is currently a granular formulation, but we’re expecting a liquid formulation –much easier to use – in a couple of years.”

ADAMA’s Zivata insecticide is a synthetic pyrethroid formulated with an improved, plant-based solvent that offers fast-acting stomach and contact effects against a broad spectrum of insect pests. It has low volatile organic compounds, properties that improve the user experience.

These products really matter to specialty crops which, by their nature, are grown on acreages that are much smaller than what’s common in Canadian wheat, canola, corn and soybeans. Total Canadian potato acreage, for example, topped out at 387,000 acres in 2022 compared to wheat’s 25 million acres.

Horticultural growers are worried that fewer active ingredients are being registered in Canada by the major crop protection companies. In global ranking of gross sales volumes, they are Syngenta, Bayer CropScience, BASF and Corteva. According to AgroPages, these

Sales of top 9 global agrochemical firms FY2021 (million)

behemoths accounted for 55 per cent of the total global pesticide sales of $72.6 billion in 2021. In seventh place is ADAMA, accounting for about seven per cent of global sales.

For horticulture, the company that’s been part of the global Syngenta Group since 2020 represents an important player in the supply chain. The fate of active ingredients is governed by the formulation, says Dr. Yoav Avidor, vice-president, innovation, development, research and registration, ADAMA. And those formulations are becoming more important for lessening the environmental footprint. Whether it’s better penetration of plant cuticles, higher levels of rainfastness or more efficient pay loads, these formulations are making a difference to both grower and environmental health.

Beyond the importance of new formulations is the breadth of ADAMA’s manufacturing capacity across the world with plants in China, Israel and more recently India.

“The frailties of the global supply chain have become clear during the last two challenging years,” says Thiessen. “That’s why the company is investing in manufacturing capacity on several continents.”

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