BASF China: Create a new field of plant health for crop protection

BASF is the first company to obtain domestic plant health function registration. Its AgCelence® plant health function broadened the applying field of  crop protection products, with products using this technology achieved satisfying sales results in China market. The completion of  BASF Jiangsu Rudong Production Site further indicates that BASF sees China as its base to its long-term development in Asia. Tracy Wu, the Director and Business Management of Crop Protection BASF Greater China recently talked to AgroPages, specified the company’s product portfolio and shared some experience and achievements through BASF’s marketing activities.

Q: What major plant protection products has BASF introduced to the China market in the recent years? What features and advantages do these products have?

A: These years, BASF launched series of products in China market, such as herbicide Arietta® in corn, fungicide Allegro® in rice, Merivon® and Adexar® in vegetable and fruit that are launched this year.

Adexar® features excellent protection and treatment function, capable of preventing and treating multiple fungus diseases. Its main features are: quick control of disease spot, preventing disease spot from spreading, long term effect in protecting the blade, etc.

Whereas Merivon® is a product of BASF strategic brand AgCelence® plant health function serial products, with 2 global patent elements. It can help fruits and vegetables improve quality, resulting in bright fruit appearance, verdant leaf, and better taste. AgCelence® plant health function is one of the strategic brands of BASF; it transcends traditional crop protection functions by increasing crop yield, improving crop commodity character, and increasing productivity, so as to help fulfill sustainable development of agriculture. At present, products on the Chinese market under AgCelence® include Merivon®, Cabrio®, Cabrio®Top, Cantus™ etc. Owing to the outstanding performance on crops, the application of Cabrio®, a fungicide under AgCelence®,  on corn has been granted “plant health function” registration of the Ministry of Agriculture, becoming the first fungicide to be successfully awarded this domestic brand-new function registration ; BASF also becomes the first company to obtain domestic plant health function registration.

These years, BASF launched herbicides such as Heat® for non-cultivated&citrus and Arietta® for corn post emergence to address the weed resistance problem in China. They are both BASF patented products. Heat® is glyphosate-resistant broadleaf weeds solution; it can control broadleaf weeds and the dicotyledonous weeds that is resistant to glyphosate. Moreover, Arietta® is widely well received by farmers for its high security and excellent performance in kill weeding. We will also launch more herbicides to the market, such as herbicide in cotton that will come to market next year.

Q: BASF recently accomplished rapid expansion of production capacity in China, including the completion of BASF Jiangsu Rudong Production Site. What role will this site play in the Asia Pacific strategy of BASF?

A: BASF Jiangsu Rudong Production Site, launched in Rudong Costal Economic Development Zone, Jiangsu province, will ensure a long-lasting presence and growth in China. We see this as an important opportunity to further demonstrate and strengthen our commitment to agriculture in China as well as the local Chinese farmers’ and market needs.  With an annual capacity of 10,000 metric tons, the plant offers fungicide, insecticide, and herbicide to farmers. It allows BASF Crop Protection to offer a broad range of solutions to farmers in the Asia pacific.

We also grow by increasing our capital expenditures: In the upcoming five years, we plan to increase invest in property, plant and equipment. Our new formulation and packaging plant in Rudong is one step of many. In addition, we established a new Seed Treatment Centre in Shanghai this year for tailor-made solutions in traits and seed products.

Q: Can BASF share its promotion experience in marketing activities featuring local characteristics that are close to users in the Chinese market? What results have been achieved through these activities. 

A: Innovation and focus on farmers constitute the key strategic elements of BASF crop protection department. We have carried out a number of innovation activities on the market.

For instance, since 2013, BASF has carried out “AgCelence® ——Plant Health Tour” caravan activity in multiple venues across China, which covered all cash crops, corn, and rice etc..At each station, BASF personnel, together with local experts, introduced plant protection knowledge, analyzed plant disease and pests, offered solutions and shared success experiences to farmers.

This year, BASF Rice Health Tour —— Science and Technology Caravan also headed to major rice production areas and provided services to thousands of households in villages all around China. BASF Rice Health——Science and Technology Caravan Tour aims to bring the concept of crop health to farmers because farmers were more concerned about pest control and paid little attention to crop health. Now farmers are more concerned about farming efficiency and have higher demands on crop quality. Secondly, BASF has brought the concept of scientific planting to farmers, helped to solve many technical problems and brought real technology to the farmers.

In addition, on 25th September this year, BASF AgCelence® Day was held in more than 40 counties in nearly 20 provinces, carrying out tests on crops like corn, bananas, citrus, peanut etc, More than 3000 households witnessed the effects of AgCelence® on increasing crop yield.

BASF has also carried out a number of field activities, such as the Diseases, Insect Pests Prevention and Production Increase of Corn Project with National Agro-Tech Extension and Service Center (NATESC). During the three years from 2011 to 2013, 4 seminars and more than 50 field demonstrations have been carried out in 66 demonstration zonesin 8 provinces.

In the past three years, BASF solutions (AgCelence® + Arietta®) have contributed to an average yield increase of 25.26%, with the highest increase of 72.10%, compared with control group; an average yield increase of 9.63%, with the highest increase of 32.90% compared with conventional local formulation. Some provinces have brought AgCelence® into the local high crop yield scheme. Considering the outstanding achievements over the past 3 years, NATESC decided to establish a “Technology Demonstration for High Corn Yield Project” in 2014-2016.

The project will be carried out in 17 demonstration zones in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong and Henan.

At the same time, we have actively carried out many projects on horticultural crop, soybean, tea, etc. around the country. We hope to help farmers increase crop yields and quality through BASF solutions, and eventually increase their production and incomes.

Q:  Will BASF introduce some farmer training or public welfare activities in the China market?

A: Each year BASF holds more than 10000 sessions of farmer training and field demonstration in the fields.

In 2014, BASF opened the AgCelence® center and innovation garden, providing a communication platform for BASF and professional farmers. Here farmers can fully understand, learn and experience the brand value of AgCelence®. The center aims to promote sustainable solutions and further help growers. BASF experts regularly provide help to farmers to help solve the crop problems. Meanwhile the demonstration garden provides specialized and practical model cases to enrich the function of the AgCelence® center. This year, AgCelence® center was opened in Guangdong and Yunnan Province. Next year, more will be opened around the country, to enable more farmers the opportunity to experience it and benefit from it.

Furthermore, BASF holds Product stewardship program for farmers such as ‘Waste Packaging Recycling’ program&‘Safe-Use-Pesticide’ training and deliver personal protection equipment(PPE) in cooperation with Crop Life China.This year, in the inauguration of the new production site in Jiangsu Rudong, BASF also guaranteed to use the donation to support Jiangsu’s agrochemical product supervision project. BASF will join hands with Jiangsu Plant Protection Station together to organize training for local farmers, and provide PPE to them, BASF dedicates to making contribution to farming, the biggest job on earth.