Spray Adjuvants Program has 8 manufacturers interested in receiving certifications

By Leonardo Gottems, Reporter for AgroPages

The “Spray Adjuvants” Program has already seen eight formal consultations from manufacturers to submit agricultural adjuvants to analyze the certifications on the functionality of these products. Announced two weeks ago, the initiative will be put into practice in the laboratories of the Engineering and Automation Center (CEA) of the Instituto Agronômico (IAC). The agency, from the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply of the State of São Paulo, conducts "Spray Adjuvants" in partnership with the private sector.

Program coordinator, scientific researcher, Hamilton Ramos, pointed out that the functionality analysis applied to the inputs is a requirement of the agribusiness, aimed at seeking proof of the agronomic effectiveness of agricultural adjuvant brands marketed in the country.

According to Ramos, adjuvants are products added to the crop of pesticides. He explained that technically, the inputs help in the effectiveness of spraying and phytosanitary control, as they have spreading, humectant or penetrating effects, among others. “Associating an adjuvant of dubious functionality with a good quality pesticide can put an end to investments in pest, disease and weed control,” he said.

Ramos revealed that the Spray Adjuvants program recently signed an agreement with one of the largest agricultural cooperatives in Brazil. According to the agreement, this company, whose name will be kept confidential until the official announcement of the partnership, will only buy adjuvants from suppliers certified by the CEA-IAC program.

According to Ramos, agricultural adjuvants manufactured in Brazil are not registered with the Ministry of Agriculture. He said the products are not subject to strict regulatory requirements as is the case with pesticides. "Hence, above all, what is essential is the relevance of the market pursuing mechanisms to prove the functionality of the brands currently used in the field," he concluded.