Syngenta launching FRONDEO^® to control sugarcane borer before harvest in Brazil

The 2024-2025 sugarcane harvest is expected to reach more than 685 million tons, according to data from the National Supply Company (Conab). 

And even with a 3.8% drop in productivity, as indicated by some research centers, Brazil will remain the crop’s largest producer, the leader in sugar production and the world’s second-largest ethanol producer.

Despite the positive outlook for the segment, sugarcane farmers have been suffering from the pressure of numerous pests and diseases, mainly Diatraea saccharalis – better known as the sugarcane borer. This caterpillar affects sugarcane fields, reducing crop production per hectare, the amount of sugar accumulated per ton and the quality of the raw material, leaving the crop vulnerable to other pests and reducing the producer's profitability.

Some research centers, such as the Sugarcane Technology Center (CTC), estimate losses of around R$4.8 billion in Agricultural and Industrial Contribution Margin (MCAI) per year due to the infestation of the borer in sugarcane fields throughout the country.

For Marcos Queiroz, Marketing Manager responsible for Syngenta's Insecticide portfolio, it is essential to adopt new technologies capable of controlling infestations and reducing the risk of pest resistance to pesticides available on the market.

″Farmers manage the borer using various methods, but using a chemical product selective for this pest and compatible with biological products is a priority tool to be used in situations that require a quick and assertive response. Therefore, developing efficient technologies is essential to optimize the farmer’s work,″ Queiroz pointed out.

In this scenario, Syngenta is launching FRONDEO^®, a product still in the registration phase, developed to control the sugarcane borer. The insecticide provides greater operational efficiency and efficacy with low dosage, is compatible with biological products and enables application by aerial and terrestrial means. Combined with the fact that the product is not washed away by rain, is not degraded by the sun and has no cross-resistance, these characteristics contribute to the main challenge in managing the borer: the operational one.

The solution is derived from PLINAZOLIN^® technology, a new molecule that presents an unprecedented chemical group, is highly effective and provides a long period of control, incomparable with the solutions currently available on the market.

″FRONDEO^®’s mode of action differs from all other options for managing the borer available on the market. With a control period that lasts approximately 90 days, the number of machinery entries into the fields is reduced, thus reducing operational costs. Since the product is much more effective in controlling the borer, it offers greater peace of mind to sugarcane growers and decision-makers at sugar and ethanol plants,″ highlighted Renato Pirola, Crop Marketing Manager at Syngenta.

Digital Solutions for Sugarcane

Syngenta also offers digital solutions focused on sugarcane cultivation. Usina Delta, for example, achieved excellent results using Cropwise Protector. This digital agriculture platform monitors and optimizes operational activities in the field, providing faster and more assertive decision-making, including detailed soil analyses and the entire irrigation and fertigation process.

After adopting the tool in 2022, Delta began to record a 15% reduction in the sugarcane borer infestation rate and a reduction in harvest losses from 1.8 to 0.7%. The digitalization of the operation was reflected in the quality, productivity, and profitability of sugarcane fields as well as in the agility of the mill's field teams.

″Syngenta continues to invest in developing new solutions to enhance sugarcane productivity and quality. This is a true era of transformation for this crop, which is important to the Brazilian economy. We are prepared for this moment with the launch of innovations already transforming sugarcane fields,″ Queiroz highlighted.

Please contact Christina Xie at christina@agropages.com if you would like to share your company story or advertising in the upcoming 2024 Latin America Focus magazine.