Lusosem launches Problad biofungicide in Portugal

Lusosem Produtos Para Agricultura SA has announced exclusively to AgroPages the launch in Portugal of the new biofungicide Problad, which was developed and patented by CEV SA.

According to the manufacturer, this product is produced with 100% of the raw materials of Portuguese origin.

Problad is a biofungicide derived from lupine (Lupinus albus) and was authorized for several essential crops in Portuguese agriculture.

According to Lusosem, Problad is a ″new concept of natural fungicide based on a protein obtained from the aqueous extract of germinated seeds of sweet lupine.″

Portuguese researchers from the ISA (Instituto Superior de Agronomia) developed this biofungicide.

The product has been authorized in Portugal to prevent the main fungal diseases that affect grapevines (gray rot and powdery mildew), stone fruit orchards (moniliosis), rice paddies (pyriculariosis), tomato, eggplant and strawberry (black rot and powdery mildew).

According to the manufacturer, this new natural solution is safe for the applicators and the environment. It does not leave residues on agricultural products, having a safety interval of zero days and a re-entry interval in the field of zero hours.

Farmers can apply PROBLAD until the final stage of the crop cycle, and the product is authorized in Organic Agriculture.

This biofungicide is unique because it contains a protein as an active substance, which gives it stable effectiveness, not conditioned by climatic conditions in the field, and rapid biodegradation in the soil.

The new biofungicide has a new multi-site mode of action, acting on the fungal cell wall and membrane and blocking metabolism inside the cell by inactivating multiple enzymes.

It is a contact product, but it also has translaminar activity, penetrating the interior of plant tissues. As part of a crop protection program, alternating with other modes of action, it dramatically reduces the likelihood of fungus developing resistance.

″It is with great enthusiasm that we integrate Problad into our range of crop protection solutions, convinced that it will help farmers to respond to quality and food safety requirements. Our passion and dedication to lupine are well known, as is our commitment to innovation, aiming to create value in the national agricultural market,″ said Filipa Setas, responsible for Development and Marketing at Lusosem.

″We are very optimistic about the launch of Problad in Portugal because our product is similar in effectiveness to synthetic chemical fungicides. Being a biological product with an excellent safety profile for users and the environment, it can be integrated into a crop protection program, replacing two or three applications of conventional fungicides. It will help to reduce the level of residues in food and the likelihood of resistance development by fungi,″ said Hugo Batista, CEO of CEV, SA.

The product is now manufactured at CEV's industrial unit and exported to several countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, South Korea, China, Rwanda, Mauritius, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The product could be sold in more than 30 countries, 18 of which are in Europe in the next five years.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)

The 4th Biopesticides, Biostimulants and Novel Fertilizers International Summit (BioEx 2023) will take place on 9th & 10th March in Hangzhou, China. We are pleased to invite speakers from the commercial, research, extension, government, regulatory and farming sectors to submit your proposals and abstracts for oral presentations.