Biocontrol product Catolaccus grandis registered in Brazil

Act No. 31 of the Department of Plant Health and Agricultural Inputs of the Department of Agricultural Defense, published in the Federal Official Gazette, (Brazil MAPA) ensures that 46 formulated products, or pesticides, will effectively be available for use by farmers.

Of these, seven are organic ingredients, with four approved for use in organic agriculture.

The novelty in biological pesticides is the first record of the parasitoid Catolaccus grandis for controlling the cotton boll weevil. The main cotton pest has been wreaking havoc on Brazilian plantations since the 1980s. Based on Reference Specification (ER) No. 42, the registered parasitoid showed excellent results in controlling the pest after experiments coordinated by Embrapa Algodão researcher Francisco de Sousa Ramalho. The product receives the denomination of phytosanitary products with approved use for organic agriculture and can be used in both organic and conventional crops.

Other low-impact products are mixtures of Pseudomonas fluorescens with Pseudomonas chlororaphis and an Isaria fumosorosea. For organic agriculture, in addition to the parasitoid, there is an isolate of Beauveria bassiana, an isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae and a Trichoderma asperellum.

Concerning chemical products, the novelty was the products formulated were based on the fungicide Pydiflumetofen. Four brands were registered in a mixture with Difenoconazole and one product with the active alone. The fungicide is recommended for soybean, cotton, corn, coffee and a range of crops with insufficient phytosanitary support.

Also included in the publication are three phytohormones and an anti-sprout (1,4 Dimethylnaphthalene), which the potato processing industry has been waiting for.

The other products use active ingredients previously registered in the country. For example, the registration of generic pesticides is vital to reduce market concentration and increase competition, which results in fairer trade and lower production costs for Brazilian agriculture.

All registered products were analyzed and approved by the bodies responsible for health, environment and agriculture according to scientific criteria and in line with the best international practices.

Biological control products

Brazil is a world reference for using biological pesticides in the field. In all, there are 552 low-impact products registered since 2000.

Products considered low impact have biological, microbiological, semiochemical, biochemical, plant extracts and growth regulator active ingredients and may be authorized in several cases in organic agriculture.

These products are important for agriculture not only because of their toxicological and environmental impact but also because they benefit crops with insufficient phytosanitary support (minor crops), as these products are registered by pests and not by culture as with chemicals.

With the registration of these seven new products, there are already 43 low-toxicity products for pest control registered in 2022.