Rotam CropSciences: Insight Into Innovations, Challenges and Solutions in Formulation Development

“The field of formulation technology provides a very wide scope and multiple aspects for research development and innovation in order to improve and enhance product performance. Innovation in formulation technology is not limited to finding a new formulation type but also on improving, optimizing and perfecting the traditional formulation types,” said Mr. Prabhakar Kumar, Director, Research & Development, Regulatory and Business Development of Rotam CropSciences in a recent interview with AgroPages.

He also shared his views on product layout and development strategies of Rotam, innovation formulation technologies launched by Rotam, major challenges& potential solutions of Latin American agchem market and future development plan etc.

What are the product layout and development strategies in Rotam Brazil and Argentina?

Rotam CropSciences Ltd. is a global agrochemical company focused on crop protection, with commercial operations in more than 75 markets worldwide. We provide quality products and solutions with professional technical support for crop protection and plant nutrition. In Argentina and Brazil, we offer a comprehensive and excellent portfolio of products for the key crops like cereals, corn, cotton, peanut, soybean and sugarcane. This portfolio comprising of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and plant nutrition helps growers achieve sustainable productivity by overcoming challenges in pest and weed management.

Backed by our fully integrated R&D and manufacturing operation capability, we put into efforts and resources in developing value-added product formulations for standalone as well as differentiated mixture products to meet the needs of local markets. Between the two large markets of Argentina and Brazil, they have many crops and crop protection needs in common, but on the other hand, there are big differences in farm practices. We have to adapt our plan and portfolio for the synergy as well as the diversity. Moreover, we continue to invest in a robust pipeline of product development and registrations for both countries to further strengthen our complete crop solution portfolio.

Could you introduce the production base in Brazil? What are the major challenges& potential solutions of Latin American agchem market?

The production base in Brazil for Rotam is a need-based complementary arrangement to our centralized global production hub in Asia.  We manage this production through toll manufacturing under our strict supervision and as per our technology and specifications.  Most of the time the products selected for local production in Brazil is either subject to strategic considerations or driven by limitation on export feasibility from China.

With government in many markets implementing stringent laws and regulations on agrochemical products, and general public having concerns on food safety and environmental protection, the business environment facing the industry has never been so challenging. To address these issues, we strengthen our service and product portfolio, we are committed to ensuring that we adhere to the highest standards of compliance and implement quality management system across all operations to assure that requirements and compliances are met. We stay focus on driving product enhancements by our core competence of technical knowhow and high level of regulatory expertise. For instance, the new product Rotam Abacus® V6 not only is a low VOC formulation, but it also offers excellent efficacy and can be applied safely to a broad range of vegetable crops.

Could you highlight the innovation formulation technologies launched by Rotam and special features?

The field of formulation technology provides a very wide scope and multiple aspects for research development and innovation in order to improve and enhance product performance. Innovation in formulation technology is not limited to finding a new formulation type but also on improving, optimizing and perfecting the traditional formulation types.  For instance, we know that suspension concentrate (SC) formulations are more environment friendly as compared to a traditional EC or EW formulation.  However, it is always a challenge to match the efficacy of an EC formulation with that of a SC formulation for the same TG.  That is where expertise and innovation come at play.  SC formulations are one of the core strengths of Rotam. The success of Rotam’s Tebuconazole 430 SC formulation in Europe against the well-established EC/EW formulations is a good example.

Even when working with EC/EW formulations, Rotam applies innovation in selecting greener solvent system to develop products with better environmental and tox profiles. The most recent example is the launch of Rotam Abacus® V6 in the US.  This is the 3rd generation formulation tech of the same TG, maintaining the same formulation type of EC.  The first generation Abacus® when launched in 2007 was recognized as even better than the leading brand. Then driven by California requirements for VOC regulations, we introduced the second generation as Abacus® V. Recently we have upgraded the product to Abacus® V6.

Rotam recently launched copper nanotechnology tool ‘Kypros’ in Brazil, what do you see for the future of applying nanotechnology-based agrochemicals? Is there any plan to launch more nanotechnology-based agrochemicals?

Rotam Kypros® is an innovative offering that aims to boost the defense mechanism of plants.  The product provides a long lasting protection thus ensuring better quality yield.  It is one of the most active forms of copper therefore more effective than classical copper compounds. It acts both preventatively through the residue remaining on the plant surface and curatively entering quickly into the plant. It can be used in all pH range and in combination with most fungicides and insecticides on the market.  Dose rates are very small due to the high potency of copper ions, and their fast penetration and translocation in plant tissues.  Another important advantage is that it does not cause phytotoxicity to plants as other copper compounds do.

We see potential in nanotechnology as an effective solution to multiple agriculture-related problems. We would develop more nanotechnology-based agrochemicals to help customers grow better crops, quantity and quality wise.

Could you share some changes of regulation & policy and countermeasures in Latin America?

Over the years, environmental laws and regulations have been evolving. It has become a trend that the use of Category 1 toxic chemical substances is getting limited, if not fully prohibited.

 By applying our professional formulation technology, we change the inert system of product to comply with regulatory requirements but without compromising the safety performance, efficacy and stability. One of the examples is Rotam Lash® 43 in Argentina, which is developed from the original Lash® 90. With our formulation technology, its toxic classification has been changed from red to yellow, but its reduced toxicity does not influence the desired control of insecticides such as lepidopteran, aphids and mites in extensive crops, fruits, citrus and floral.

What is the development plan of Rotam in Latin America?

Glocalization is one of our key strategies. To meet customer needs, we continue to research and develop quality formulations in expanding our global portfolio. At the same time, we strive to provide complete solutions for selected crops by local markets.  

In Latin America, some governments are driving domestic manufacturing of formulations. We must ensure that a flexible framework is in place to cope with the respective requirements. This implies that we should strengthen our capability in procurement and diversify supply chain and manufacturing for future needs.

This interview will be published in AgroPages' upcoming '2021 Formulation & Adjuvant Technology' magazine. Welcome to join it.

More details, please contact: grace@agropages.com

If you'd like to share your company story, please contact Grace Yuan via: grace@agropages.com