Brazil approves two new biopesticides

On April 3, the Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil published the record of two unprecedented biological pesticides. One is based on garlic extract, which can be used to control nematodes (soil pests that attack plant roots) and the other is a mite that controls the whitefly, a pest that attacks potatoes, tomatoes and beans, among other crops.

The act published in the Federal Official Gazette also records another 44 generic pesticides, 17 of which use biological control agents in their formulation. Over the past year, 40 organic products were registered.

According to the general coordinator of pesticides and the like at the Ministry of Agriculture, Bruno Breitenbach, the objective is to encourage the use of biologicals in agriculture, increasing the number of registered products containing microorganisms already present in nature. Eight of these registered products can be used in organic farming systems.

“These biological agents are completely harmless to human beings and naturally control pests in Brazilian crops. They are extremely environment-friendly and we believe that 2020 may be marked by the quantity of biological products made available to Brazilian agriculture,” he said.