Rizoflora announces registration of biological crop protection product to control nematodes in Brazil

Rizoflora Biotechnology has obtained last week the approval for the registration for commercial use of Rizotec – a product made through a fungus to control nematodes. This is the first release of a bionematicide based on the fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia and will be sold in the country for the use on crops such as soybeans, corn, cotton, vegetable crops and fruit trees.

Gustavo Moreira Mamão, director of Rizoflora, explains that the fungus kills the eggs and the nematode females and it is considered a very effective agent for biological control of these pathogen. Besides, this makes a beneficial association with the plant’s root, fostering production increase and drought resistance.

The creation of Rizotec demanded R$ 3 million in investments and was tested to act specifically on nematodes, remaining environmentally sustainable. According to the manufacturer, it was possible to increase yields by about 10%.

"It is a milestone in the history of Rizoflora, especially because we sought the Rizotec registration since 2010. The product is innovative and 100% organic. It is necessary to highlight that the conquest was only possible thanks to the intense collaborative work in its development with the Federal University of Viçosa through the Applied Biotechnology Institute of Agriculture (Bioagro).” highlights Mamão.