Brazil greenlights BASF’s biofungicide Serenade

BASF announced that the biological fungicide Serenade was granted registration for apples, onions, and strawberries in the key agriculture market of Brazil. Serenade, the company’s first biological fungicide licensed through US based biopesticides company AgraQuest, will arrive just in time to support Brazilian growers in the 2011/12 season.

With this new solution, farmers will enjoy enhanced quality and better yields combined with a higher degree of flexibility regarding pre-harvest and re-entry intervals.  BASF expects registration for grapes, carrot, tobacco, in 2012/13 and other fruits and vegetables within the next years.

Serenade will be a complement to BASF’s crop protection offer, allowing growers to combine traditional fungicide treatments with bio-fungicide applications during the critical pre- and post-harvest periods. “Farmers told us that they were having a hard time protecting their crops during these important times,” says Philip Lane, Head of fungicide research at BASF. “So three years ago, a team of our scientists and agronomists set to work to design a system to maximize disease control and application flexibility. With Serenade, growers can take advantage of optimum planting and harvesting conditions”.
 
Serenade contains a unique strain of the bacterium Bacillus subtillis that is produced through a natural fermentation process. Due to Serenade unique properties, it has a favorable toxicological and ecotoxicological profile that makes it an ideal tool for integrated pest management.
 
The commercialization of Serenade in Brazil is a result of the agreement between BASF and AgraQuest for the license, supply and distribution of the product in some countries in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. The deal allows BASF to exclusively distribute existing Serenade products in these markets.