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Agbiologicals, Company News, Fungicides, India

Warden Extra, a highly potent fungicide and insecticide, is the patented product of the company

Best Agrolife Ltd (BAL), a leading agrochemical manufacturer in India, has received the registration for the indigenous manufacturing of a groundbreaking agrochemical from the Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIBRC). This innovative agrochemical, comprising Trifloxystrobin, Thiamethoxam, and Thiophanate Methyl, holds significant promise in transforming Indian agriculture by mitigating harmful diseases and pests, thereby boosting crop production.

The registration has been granted under section 9(3) FIM to Seedlings India Pvt. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of BAL. Scheduled for a nationwide launch in April 2024 under the brand name Warden Extra, this agrochemical is a potent fungicide and insecticide specifically designed to safeguard crops from Damping off disease, as well as combat Leafhopper, Aphid, and Whitefly insects. Its broad-spectrum effectiveness extends to addressing various fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew, rust, and leaf spot, along with targeting a variety of insects including aphids, thrips, and whiteflies.

Significantly, Warden Extra stands as BAL’s patented product, following the success of the company’s earlier innovations, Ronfen and Tricolor, which have already made a significant impact on Indian agriculture due to their remarkable effectiveness. With the introduction of Warden Extra, BAL is expanding its product line, generating anticipation for the potential contributions this new agrochemical solution could make to the agricultural sector.

Notably, BAL had also recently secured a 20-year patent for its groundbreaking creation, the “SYNERGISTIC GRANULAR HERBICIDAL COMPOSITION FOR PADDY.” This innovative herbicide, set to debut in the upcoming Kharif season, will be introduced under the brand name ‘Orisulam’. Furthermore, BAL boasts a robust pipeline for more future patent molecules, indicating a promising trajectory for the company’s continued advancements in agricultural solutions.

Warden Extra, a highly potent fungicide and

Agri Genomics, World

The study offers a new perspective on the evolution of flowering plants

An international team of researchers including Florian Etl and Jürg Schönenberger from the University of Vienna, Stefan Dötterl and Mario Schubert from the University of Salzburg, and Oliver Reiser and Christian Kaiser from the University of Regensburg, succeed in providing evidence for an important hypothesis on the evolution and diversity of animal pollination.

The hypothesis states that insect flower pests can become useful pollinators during the course of evolution. Botanists call this “antagonist capture”, meaning that plants are able to turn a harmful insect into a pollinator through evolutionary adaptations in their flowers or inflorescences. This theory has now been confirmed for the first time in Syngonium hastiferum, an aroid plant (arum family, Araceae) from Costa Rica.

While all other members of the genus Syngonium studied so far are pollinated by nocturnal beetles, Syngonium hastiferum is exclusively pollinated by a hitherto unknown diurnal plant bug species. Interestingly, plant bugs also occur as flower visitors in beetle-pollinated aroids, but only as pests that eat pollen and flower tissue and thus damage the plants without pollinating them.

The study offers a new perspective on the evolution of flowering plants and the spectacular diversity of their flowers and their pollinators by providing the first evidence that pest insects can become efficient pollinators through changes in the flowers. 

The study offers a new perspective on

Agri Genomics, Company News

As part of this agreement, Corteva and MS Technologies have licensed the Enlist E3 soybean trait to BASF for development with the NRS trait in BASF germplasm

Corteva Agriscience, BASF and MS Technologies recently announced that they have entered into a mutually beneficial trait licensing agreement to develop next-generation Enlist E3 soybeans with the nematode resistant soybean (NRS) trait for farmers in the United States and Canada.

As part of this agreement, Corteva and MS Technologies have licensed the Enlist E3 soybean trait to BASF for development with the NRS trait in BASF germplasm. BASF has licensed its NRS trait to Corteva and MS Technologies for use in Enlist E3 soybeans. The three companies anticipate commercialisation of Enlist E3 soybean varieties containing the NRS trait in the late 2020s, pending applicable regulatory reviews and completion of field testing.

The new NRS trait is expected to provide unprecedented protection against nematode pests in soybeans, including soybean cyst nematode (SCN).

“Our nematode resistant soybean trait will be the first commercially available biotechnology trait developed to control nematodes,” said Linda Trolinder, Senior Vice President of BASF Seeds and Traits R&D. “BASF is in its 5th year of advanced field testing the NRS trait in the US and in our trials, it has demonstrated an average 8 per cent yield benefit above today’s SCN-resistant varieties.”

The Enlist weed control system is an industry-leading system for soybeans, corn and cotton. Enlist E3 soybeans are tolerant to 2,4-D choline, glyphosate and glufosinate herbicides, giving farmers additional options to manage resistant and hard-to-control weeds.

As part of this agreement, Corteva and

Agro chems – Pesticides

Advion MicroFlow effectively controls target pests like ants, cockroaches, crickets, pantry pests and more without impacting non-target organisms

Syngenta has recently announced the launch of Advion MicroFlow insect bait, a dry flowable bait that can help control pests.

This dry flowable bait can help control pests like ants and cockroaches in hard-to-reach areas. Advion MicroFlow features the same active ingredient, indoxacarb, and targeted MetaActive effect found in other Advion products. With a highly attractive bait matrix, it effectively controls target pests like ants, cockroaches, crickets, pantry pests and more without impacting non-target organisms.

It’s also milled to a fine particle size, allowing it to reach deep within cracks, crevices and hard-to-reach areas inaccessible to gel baits or liquids.

“We’re excited to add this dry flowable bait to our pest control portfolio,” said Marshall Gaster, head of marketing for Professional Pest Management (PPM) at Syngenta. “Because it can reach deep harborages and voids with flexible use rates, Advion MicroFlow will be a complementary tool for cleanout and maintenance treatment protocols.”

Advion MicroFlow features a powerful secondary transfer effect, which allows target insects to pass the active ingredient along to nestmates.

Advion MicroFlow effectively controls target pests like ants,

Agro chems – Pesticides, R&D

Introduces a three-fold solution to tackle white grub menace

Aaria Biolifesciences Research a bio-based agri input manufacturer based out of Pune has come up with a three-fold attack mechanism using entomopathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana, Metarhyzium anisoplaea and Verticillium leccanii. 

“The objective was to come up with a sustainable solution to counter the white grub attack which can cause severe losses at a fast pace to the crop. This three-fold solution will prove to be an important component of the integrated pest management module, especially for white grub management. This can be easily applied by farmers in whichever way is suitable,” said Dr Richa Nair Co-Founder & Director, Aaria Biolife.

White grubs are extremely destructive soil pests known to damage a wide variety of crops. Once established in the field, this pest causes a loss of 25-90 per cent which is pretty heavy for the farmer to recover from. The agriculture department of Maharashtra, India, had reported infestation of the pest in about 1.54 lakh of the state’s overall 11 lakh hectares cane area in the 2018-19 sugar season.

As almost all fungi produce spores which are like seeds, from which new fungi can be grown, they can also be delivered to farms in a solid form. Availability of a pest solution in liquid, as well as solid form, makes it more convenient for the end-user as the application can be done as per the resources available on the farm, through water lines or through drenching or mixing it in the pre-plantation fertiliser dozes which are applied on farm. After favourable results with more than 20,000+ farmers across Maharashtra, Aaria Biolife has already started entering into large B2B deals with other input providers who want to expand their biological portfolio.

Introduces a three-fold solution to tackle white

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, Seeds, World

The purpose of the seed treatment application is to help the seed and the germinating plant fight various soil pests and diseases

Bee Vectoring Technologies International announced positive results in the progress of its proprietary biological control agent Clonostachys rosea strain CR-7 in the seed treatment market – a significant new revenue opportunity for the company. The BVT trials conducted in 2021 were built on the positive results from the proof-of-concept work done in 2020 in both the US and Switzerland.

 “This marks the first data we have for CR-7 on a major row crop such as soybeans,” said Ashish Malik, CEO, BVT. “This is the type of crop that gets the attention of the major global multinationals, and we have generated interest from as many as eight companies to whom we presented our results from the 2021 work. One of them is conducting their independent trials as well.”

 In the 2021 trials, soybean seeds were treated with CR-7 together with, and in comparison to, other seed treatment products before they were planted. The purpose of the seed treatment application is to help the seed and the germinating plant fight various soil pests and diseases, and to help with the emergence and vigour of the plant in its early stages, allowing the crop to better reach its genetic yield potential. The advantage of this approach is precision: unlike foliar sprays, seed treatments get 100 per cent of the product on the plant, and in some cases, impart properties that benefit the plant throughout the growing season.

BVT conducted seed treatment trials with well-established soybean researchers in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, with very positive results. When CR-7 was added over the base seed treatment, it resulted in healthier plants during the vegetative stages when the plants are growing leaves, stems and roots to accumulate the resources they will need for the flowering and reproductive stages. During this stage, plants with the CR-7 treatment had on average 36 per cent greater below-ground fresh biomass (a measure indicating the strength of the plant’s root system) and 16 per cent greater above-ground fresh biomass (a measure indicating the amount of tissue in stems and leaves) over the base seed treatment.

In addition, the trials showed CR-7 to be an effective treatment against Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), a huge disease problem for soybean growers. Caused by the soil-borne pathogen, Fusarium virguliforme, that attacks roots and the lower stem of the plant, the disease affects flowers and young pods, resulting in a significant loss in crop yield. The results showed CR-7 to have equivalent control of SDS to current industry standards for both chemical and biological products. BVT will continue with further work in seed treatment in 2022, including the second year of field trials.

The seed treatment market is a specialized one with different channels in the major growing regions, where things like understanding the genetics of the seed varieties and relationships to the seed companies are important. It is a market that BVT intends to be a technology provider for partners to develop.

The purpose of the seed treatment application

Agrotech

The technology is believed to boost crop yields and lower the input costs due to high fuel prices

A total fleet of 100 units of drone sprayers has been recently fulfilled by XAG, making it the single largest order of drones for agricultural use in the history of Ukraine. XAG has been working with local businesses to meet the rapidly increasing demand for drone spraying service. The technology is believed to boost crop yields and lower the input costs due to high fuel prices. An adequate provision of such autonomous equipment can help farmers better prepare the upcoming agricultural season.

DroneUA, XAG’s local partner and the main integrator of unmanned solutions in Ukraine, makes the fulfillment of this large-scale order successful. The first batch of 50 XAG Agricultural Drones has been handled over to Robotic Agrosystems, which is one of the largest service companies of its kind in Ukraine, with the remaining 50 to be delivered over the next few months.

In a few weeks, 59 mobile crews formed by precision farming specialists of Robotic Agrosystems, will start to learn operating the drones on farms and provide spraying services to farmers from all over Ukraine. It is estimated that XAG’s drone fleet of 100 units will cultivate more than 500 thousand hectares of crops in the 2022 farming season.

The introduction of XAG’s agricultural drone into Ukraine’s fertile lands has been in full swing since 2021. With the precision spraying technology, the XAG drones were used on farm for various applications, from weeding, fertilisation, pest and disease control to desiccation. The technology has also served a diversity of major crops, such as wheat, barley, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower, that constitute the cornerstone of the country’s agricultural export.

According to Igor Tchaikovsky, the owner of Robotic Agrosystems, last year their team cultivated 10,000 hectares of land even with a much smaller XAG drone fleet and received positive feedback from customers.

The technology is believed to boost crop

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech

Natutec Drive has proved to be a cost-effective and accurate way of controlling pests

Koppert’s new applicator for predatory beneficial in protected strawberry crops, Natutec Drive, has produced some excellent results in its first commercial season in the UK.

Feedback from growers shows the Natutec Drive has proved to be a cost-effective and accurate way of controlling pests, taking the use of beneficial and their efficacy to a new level.

Drive’s hi-tech dispersal system, usually mounted on a tractor-drawn trailer, employs a central 60-litre rotating drum that feeds via a hopper into boom-mounted distribution tubes, transporting product via a positive airflow onto the crop.

The operator can select products and dose accurately and quickly using touch screen controls mounted on the tractor. “Our trials have repeatedly shown that predator delivery rates are consistently accurate,” says Koppert technical consultant Jasper Hubert. “And costs have also been dramatically reduced.”

A grower survey showed it took eight to nine workers an average of 47 minutes to treat 1 ha by hand, but with the Natutec Drive one person could treat the same area in 55 minutes, seven to eight times faster. “This produced an average saving of just over £40/ha per application,” says Hubert. “For a 28ha farm carrying out 11-12 applications per season, the average in the survey, this would save a total of around £9600 per year, so the machine more than pays for itself.”

The design also ensures simple filling even when mixing large quantities, keeping refills to a minimum and speeding up the application process. “We had a few electrical glitches and carried out some minor modifications to individual machines,” says Hubert.

All Natutec Drives are custom built and available on lease hire from Agrovista, Koppert’s partner on fruit crops in the UK.

Natutec Drive has proved to be a

Animal Health, Environment

The resource now holds over 1.1 million geographic records of living organisms which are important to agriculture and the environment.

The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) Distribution Database has reached a historic milestone with over 300,000 distribution records added in 2021 – meaning the resource now holds over 1.1 million geographic records of living organisms which are important to agriculture and the environment.

The database covers over 55,000 species, across key areas such as crop pests and hosts, crop and animal diseases, invasive species and natural enemies. The data has been sourced from peer reviewed published literature, CABI project work and other authoritative third-party sources such as EPPO and OIE.

Throughout 2021, CABI has been working hard to use new Distribution Database tools to import more geographic records. This includes over 12,000 new species to the database and information that has filled thousands of gaps in existing species distributions.

The CABI Distribution Database serves data to five different Compendia (Animal Health & Production, Aquaculture, Crop Protection, Forestry and Invasive Species), distribution maps for plant pests and plant diseases, the Horizon Scanning Tool, Pest Risk Analysis Tool, Plantwise Knowledge Bank Species Pages (Datasheets) and the Plantwise Knowledge Bank Diagnostic Tool.

Tim Beale, Senior Data Analyst at CABI, said, “CABI is regularly updating its distribution data so that when users go to our knowledge products, they can be more confident that they are getting the latest information about where their species of interest is present or absent. Furthermore, when they use our tools they can have greater trust in the results of their horizon scan, or pest risk assessment.”

The resource now holds over 1.1 million