H. armigera in Brazil: state of phytosanitary emergency extended in three states

Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa) has extended the state of phytosanitary emergency due to the outbreak of Helicoverpa armigera in the states of Mato Grosso, Goiás and Piaui until November of 2016. The decree No. 10/2016, published by the Union's Official Gazette, authorizes the use of insecticides like the Emamectin Benzoate even before the registration of the substance in the country.

The Emamectin Benzoate is pointed out by several experts as the most effective active ingredient to control this plague, but suffers resistance on the side of environmental activists and the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), which considers the toxicity beyond the tolerable limits.

However, according to the legislation of the state of Goiás, farmers will just be allowed to spray the crops with authorization and regulation of the Goiás Agency of Crop Protection (Agrodefesa). Leaders of representative bodies are already articulating to pressure the agency to seek this release.

Even though the state of Goiás was included by Mapa in the list of the states under phytosanitary emergency in 2014 and 2015, the agency did not authorize the use of Emamectin Benzoate in the last two years. The Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Goiás, the Association of Corn and Soybean Growers of Goiás and the Association of Cotton Producers of Goiás complain that Helicoverpa armigera already generated R$ 340 million losses only in soybean crops.