IHARA launches Bestphos against boll weevil in Brazil

IHARA announced the arrival in the Brazilian market of the insecticide, Bestphos, which is the company's new bet for combatting the main pest of cotton: the cotton boll weevil.

In an unprecedented composition, the product unites two actives considered among the most powerful for this type of control, which are Cypermethrin and Profenophos.

According to the manufacturer, its EC formulation, Emulsifiable Concentrate, guarantees ″immediate high performance, the so-called shock control, in addition to prolonged residual action.″

According to IHARA Brasil, 100% efficiency was verified in the control of cotton boll weevil during tests conducted by several entities, such as Instituto Matogrossessense do Algodão (IMA), Fundação Bahia and Instituto Goiano de Agricultura (IGA).

Another strong feature of Bestphos is the extensive list of targets registered in its leaflet in terms of controlling a broad spectrum of pests affecting 14 different crops.

For cotton pests, the registry includes caterpillars, leafhoppers, thrips, and stink bugs.

The novelty also proved to be 100% effective in combating, in a few hours, the cotton mite, a problem that has grown rapidly and against which there are still few control options.

″Despite the large scale production, cotton is a very sensitive crop. It suffers from soil quality, climate issues and lack of water. But it suffers, above all, from attacks by enemies, such as pests, fungi and weeds. Without the correct control, these threats can lead to the complete devastation of crops,″ stressed Roberto Rodrigues (IHARA's Regional Marketing manager).

IHARA has been a reference for cotton cultivation for decades, since the beginning of its expansion process in the country, he added, stating, ″Because it knows the challenges of this crop so well, IHARA has invested in the continuous development of solutions and, therefore, bringing another excellent tool for controlling cotton boll weevil. In this segment, we are already a reference within the market, with the products, CHASER CW and PIREPHOS EC.″

According to Rodrigues, although it already has highly effective products for the same target, the company's strategy with the new launch is to offer excellent options for producers to promote the rotation of active ingredients, an essential strategy for effective management, not only against boll weevil but also against a wide range of cotton pests.

Considered the main pest of cotton in the Americas, the boll weevil has a short life cycle, high reproductive rate and devastating action. It attacks flower buds, which fall to the ground. Without control, losses are up to 70% of the plume's productivity.

In addition to being very destructive, it is also a difficult target to control. Brazilian producers make, on average, 16 annual applications against boll weevil in cotton. In some states, such as Bahia, some crops receive 20 to 30 doses per year for this control.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)