Brazil state releases use of Emamectin Benzoate against H. armigera

Farmers from the Brazilian state of Goiás finally achieved state permission to use agrochemicals with the active principle Emamectin Benzoate to control the caterpillar Helicoverpa armigera. The Normative Instruction No. 03/2016, which defines the norms for the request of “habilitation for emergency use” of these products, was published in the Official Union Gazette on Monday (3.28). According to the document, Benzoate can be used in controlled circumstances as long as the situation of phytosanitary emergency lasts for the plague in Goiás. The state is the fourth largest producer of soybeans in Brazil.

Since the 2013/14 crop season, when the Helicoverpa armigera was identified in large scale on crops in Goiás, this is the first time that the state agency releases the application of this active principle on agriculture. “The claim of the farmer to use the Benzoate was always legitimate because this caterpillar is hard to control,” affirms the president of the Association of Corn and Soybean Growers of Goiás, Bartolomeu Braz Pereira.

Accounted for authorizing and regulating the use of Benzoate, the Agricultural Defense Agency of Goiás will control the process of purchase, transference, stock and return of packages and product leftovers. “It is like a black stripe medicine,” explains the coordinator of the Agrochemicals Program of the agency, Rodrigo Baiocchi Lousa. According to him, applications of this sort of insecticide were authorized for the crops of soybeans, corn, cotton and kidney beans.

Farmers and technicians should communicate occurrences of Helicoverpa armigera and require habilitation of the use of Benzoate through the System of Agricultural Defense of Goiás, available at www.agrodefesa.go.gov.br. The volume requested to meet the limit of two application per registered area. State enforcement agents will analyze and homologate the requests and acquisitions of agrochemicals done directly with importing companies.

Used in 70 countries, the insecticides based on Emamectin Benzoate present better results to contain Helicoverpa armigera than other products in the market. “Now we can use the most efficient agrochemical, which will reduce our elevated costs,” defends Pereira, which is also vice-president of the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Goiás.

In Brazil, the Benzoate does not have registration yet at the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), so its use is only released in cases of emergency. Recently, however, the agency that will reevaluate the active principle and can release in definitive way in the country.

Background

During the last two seasons, Goiás included by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply in the list of states in phytosanitary emergency for the Helicoverpa armigera, but cannot use the Benzoate because the Goias crop protection agency abided the ban recommendations of the State and Federal Public Ministry.

But facing the claims of the agricultural sector and growing losses for sector in Goiás – estimated at R$ 340 million in two crops – the General Attorney of the State of Goiás started to act in the case. The Attorney then requested that the Public Ministry revoke the Benzoate prohibition. Early in March, the Federal Public Ministry reconsidered its initial recommendation and allowed the use of the insecticide in Goiás under limited circumstances.