Sphenophorus levis drives insecticide market for sugarcane in Brazil

By Leonardo Gottems, Reporter for AgroPages

The sugarcane billbug (Sphenophorus levis) again boosted the sales of insecticides used for pest management, according to data from the recent annual BIP (Business Intelligence Panel) study released by Spark Smarter Decisions.

The agrochemical market for sugarcane fell by 3.8% to US$1.4 billion this crop season. The inputs used to combat sugarcane billbug were valued at US$102 million in the 2020 season, compared to US$87 million in 2019 and US$48 million in 2018, indicating that the segment more than doubled in size over two years.

According to the survey, despite the second consecutive decline in the sugarcane agrochemicals market, during the 2019 cycle, the reduction was 2% at U$1.442 billion, while demand for insecticides for cane weevil jumped from 10% in 2018 to 21% in 2020. The treatment rate for these products reached 20% during the cane crop “second cut,” compared to 19% in 2019 and 9% in 2018.

In terms of sugarcane, despite the reduction in planted area, adhesion jumped from 17% to 23% between 2019 and 2020, as highlighted by Alberto Oliveira, Project Coordinator and Market Research Specialist. The State of São Paulo, the largest cane producer in the country, was the most affected by attacks by Sphenophorus levis, having registered, in 2020, more than 33% in terms of treating infestations, he added.

“Soil pests, such as Sphenophorus levis, are now among the major management challenges facing all production regions. The pest can affect any part of the cane field,” Oliveira added, noting that the change from the harvesting system to raw cane contributed to an increase in the pest’s numbers. Cultural control through fire was an auxiliary measure aimed at reducing the population of sugarcane billbug, and it eradicated adult insect populations, he explained.

“Straw serves as shelter for the pest and assists its proliferation. As this pest is difficult to control, it is important for producers to monitor the pest attacks and utilize all available protective tools, whether chemical, biological or mechanical control, alone or combined.”

Oliveira further added that the negative dollar result of the sugarcane agrochemical market is due to the 10.6% devaluation of the Brazilian currency during the 2020 harvest in terms of average dollar at the time of the purchase of inputs, in addition to the reduction in crop planted area by 1.8% at 9.122 million hectares. In the local currency, Spark stressed that there was a 7.6% increase in sales of products for sugarcane fields between 2019 and 2020, from R$5.5 billion to R$5.9 billion.

According to Spark, herbicides led the list of agrochemicals most used on sugarcane, with a 53% share and sales of US$729 million. In second position, insecticides moved US$548 million, accounting for 39% of the total market. Third were growth regulators, which registered 4% of sales, reaching US$54 million. Of this amount, 66% is equivalent to ripeners (US$35 million), 31% to flowering inhibitors (US$17 million) and 3% to biostimulants (US$1 million).

The category of fungicides appeared in the fourth position in the BIP Spark Cana, with sales of US$44 million or 3% of the total movement of the crop. Adjuvant products came in last with 1% (US$13 million).