The Rise of Bionematicides: Tackling the Multi-Billion Dollar Threat of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

Feared by many farmers, plant-parasitic nematodes feed on plant structures, especially roots, tubers and bulbs, and can lead to severe losses in many crops. Globally, plant-parasitic nematodes are estimated to be responsible for between 10 and 15 percent of yield losses. Depending on the crop, pest population density and the species feeding on the crop, yield losses can be far greater. The total global value of crop losses to plant-parasitic nematodes is estimated at US$125 billion annually. They are one of the main challenges farmers around the world face.

In 2013, nematologists around the world created a list of the top 10 most economically important plant-parasitic nematode groups. The top three were: root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne); cyst nematodes (Globodera and Heterodera); and lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus). Most of the plant-parasitic nematodes can attack a wide host include soybean, sugarcane, corn, rice, cotton and so on.¹

Rapid growth of Brazil's nematicide market

Plant-parasitic nematodes also pose a major problem for farmers in Brazil. According to the Brazilian Society of Nematology (SBN), these parasites cause losses of BRL35 billion per year to Brazilian farmers, with an average of BRL15 billion lost in soybean crops alone.²

Among the control measures, the use of resistant varieties, crop rotation and the use of nematicides are more effective and economically feasible in the control of plant-parasitic nematodes. Due to the extensive losses caused by nematodes and the difficulty in controlling them, the nematicide market is an area that agrochemical companies want to fill and compete in.

The consulting company Kynetec revealed exclusively to AgroPages that the Brazilian market for nematicides grew tenfold in eight harvests, according to the most recent FarmTrak study.³ The nematicide market moved BRL1.6 billion in the 2021-2022 cycle, compared to BRL160 million in the 2014-2015 season (Table 1).

Soybeans accounted for 52% of business involving nematicides in the last harvest (BRL806 million), according to Gabriel Pedroso, Market intelligence analyst at Kynetec, followed by sugarcane: 23% or BRL363 million. Together, corn, cotton, coffee, potatoes and 14 other investigated crops made up the remaining 25% of transactions, totaling around BRL400 million.

Table 1: Brazilian market for nematicides grew tenfold in eight harvests

In terms of treatment area, the coverage of nematicides jumped from 1.5 million hectares to 21 million hectares since the start of the study's data collection - first published in 2015 by the then-consultancy Spark Smarter Decisions, recently acquired by Kynetec.

Of this total, soybeans had the largest share of potentially treated area (PTA) in the last harvest at 64%, approximately 13.4 million hectares. Corn and cotton were next, each representing 13% or about 2.73 million hectares (5.46 million combined). Sugarcane producers treated 1.27 million hectares, equivalent to 6% of the PTA.

Regarding adoption by farmers, FarmTrak found that in 2022, treatments reached 99% of cotton area, up from 9% in 2015. In soybeans, treatment increased from 2% to 24%, while in sugarcane and corn, it rose from 6% to 13% and 1% to 13%, respectively.

″Even smaller planted crops like carrots, garlic and potatoes saw treatment rates of 76%, 67% and 39% in 2022. Nematodes severely damage plant roots. Faced with potential losses, the producer chooses to invest in preventive management,″ Pedroso emphasized.

Bionematicides take 75% market share

Another significant finding from FarmTrak places bionematicides at the forefront of the market. In 2015, chemical nematicides accounted for 94% of sales, leaving less than 6% for biologicals. Just eight years later in 2022, bionematicides represented a stark reversal, generating R$1.2 billion in sales - 75% of the total market. Chemical nematicides claimed the remaining 25% share (R$395 million). 

This aligns well with the list of nematicide products (including chemical nematicide and bionematicide) AgroPages has compiled over the last three years (Table 2). According to our reports, very limited chemical nematicides have been registered in Brazil in recent years. However, there are many biological nematicides launched in the market.

Table 2: Nematicide products introduced in Latin America within 3 years

The first and main factor is the excellent effectiveness of nematode control. Comparative studies show that biological products outperform the main nematicides on the market 80% of the time.

Another crucial point is the prolonged action of bionematicides. While the residue of most products runs out in about 20 days (still a key moment of stabilization at the beginning of the cultivation), the microorganisms in the biological formulation remain alive in the soil. They can continue to develop and gain even more strength along with the growth of the crop and its roots.

In this account, other advantages of biological agents include the fact that they do not incite pest resistance, and low (or null) toxicity, which guarantees environment safety.

New bionematicide solutions target sugarcane

Brazil is by far the biggest sugarcane producer in the world. However, this status does not come easy. Nematodes from the genera Meloidogyne and Pratylenchus, are long ago acknowledged as major problems in sugarcane. 

Biological products are the most valuable category in the field of sugarcane biocontrol in Brazil, with bioinsecticides and nematicides accounting for the majority of the market. In Brazil, growers have understood the advantages of adopting such products, with benefits not only on the control of nematodes but also in improving soil health, increasing the level of adoption.⁴

Agrochemical companies have introduced some new bionematocides for sugarcane crops. Syngenta's CERTANO, Corteva's Inlayon Eco and ADAMA's Protege are three new products with both nematicide and fungicide functions.

Syngenta Biologicals presented its new product CERTANO (Bacillus velezensis isolate CNPSo 3602) to the Brazilian market during the 19th Insectshow & Bioinsumos.

CERTANO is a microbiological bionematicide with a broad spectrum of action, which can be used in all phases of cultivation, offering the sugarcane grower an efficient control of nematodes, with greater practicality of use, from planting to ratoons, at all times of the year.

"CERTANO is Syngenta's first biological product for sugarcane with a 3 in 1 action, bionematicide, biofungicide, and growth-promoting action."

Renato Pirola

Crop Marketing Manager at Syngenta

Corteva's Inlayon™ Eco is a microbiological nematicide, with sustainable and efficient action, approved for furrow application to control the main nematodes that affect sugarcane fields, such as Pratylenchus zeae and Meloidogyne javanica. 

Inlayon™ Eco contains an exclusive strain (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens isolate SIMBI BS 10), discovered in Brazilian soil, which provides a broader control of the pest and brings better establishment of sugarcane.

With proven and reliable performance, Inlayon™ Eco can help farmers grow a consistent and robust crop to meet market needs without neglecting the environment.

ADAMA launched the microbiological fungicide and nematicide Protege in Brazil, which is highly recommended for sugarcane crops.

The biopesticide Protege is a triple combination of bacteria: Bacillus thuringiensis + Bacillus velezensis + Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, which have different modes of action on nematodes, providing control of these parasites and protecting productivity.

″Bionematicides are important tools for the control of nematodes, as they are effective and contribute to the construction of a favorable productive environment for plants to develop,″ explained Vinicius Boleta, Product Manager at ADAMA.

Profix, from Agrivalle, is a bionematicide composed of three microorganisms: two bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis) and a fungus (Purpureocillium lilacinum), with a WP formulation, used for sugarcane.

The product is to be used in the most diverse periods of planting and cutting of ratoons in the culture. Due to its composition, it promotes effective control of the most diverse phases of existing phytonematodes, eggs and juveniles, regardless of the time of use.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens powers new bionematicide launches

It can be seen clearly from the product list that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is the active ingredient in many bionematicide products. 

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is the dominant biological population in soil and plant microbiota. It is non-toxic, non-pathogenic and safe for humans and animals. Because of its ability to produce spores resistant to heat, drought, ultraviolet and organic solvents, it is an ideal target for biocontrol bacteria screening. 

In addition to the aforementioned Corteva’s Inlayon™ Eco and ADAMA's Protege products containing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Corteva's Lumialza and Koppert's Veraneio both contained this active ingredient.

By the end of 2022, Corteva Agriscience launched Lumialza, its first biological nematicide for seed treatment in Brazil. Lumialza contained Bacillus amyloliquefaciens bacteria (strain PTA-4838), a naturally occurring organism that colonizes the root region to create a biological barrier against a wide range of harmful nematodes.

Lumialzam does not interrupt the activities of organisms beneficial to the soil, offering efficient protection right at the beginning of the establishment of the crop, which can last for more than 80 days. It can also activate the production of hormones in the plant, providing greater root and shoot development. In this way, the plant absorbs more water and nutrients and grows healthier and more vigorous.

"The launch encompasses the areas of seed treatment and biologicals, which are of great importance to Corteva. We seek to help the farmer manage nematodes, one of the highest priorities for soybean and corn producers."

Dante Queiroz

Leader of Corteva's Seed Treatment Portfolio

Veraneio (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens – UMAF6614 Universidad de Málaga) is a biological nematicide launched by Koppert, for controlling root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus brachyurus) and galls (Meloidogyne incognita and Meloidogyne javanica) in soybean. 

Veraneio has two mechanisms of action for controlling soil pests. The first develops a biofilm on the root, protecting against nematode attack while the second promotes antibiosis, which is when metabolites and enzymes produced by the bacteria promote the disorientation and degradation of phytopathogenic nematodes. 

Veraneio can be used for the biological treatment of industrial seeds, along with other bioinputs.

"According to a study carried out in 46 experimental fields during the 2020/21 harvest in Brazil, when applied together with the biofungicide and bionematicide, Trichodermil (Trichoderma harzianum CEPA ESALQ 1306), it can increase soybean productivity by up to 2.4 bags/ha."

Fernando Ledesma

Commercial Supervisor at Koppert in Paraguay

Novel products emerge

A new product from Plant Health Care, PHC68949, based on harpin-derived peptides for the control of nematodes, is being filed for registration in Brazil. According to the company, as a peptide-based technology, PHC68949 breaks down rapidly within the environment, has no adverse effects on non-target organisms, and has a zero-day pre-harvest interval with no restrictions on maximum residue limits in harvested seed or crops. PHC68949 will provide growers with highly flexible nematode control because it can be applied as foliar spray, or as a seed treatment via both on-farm and industrial seed treatment. Plant Health Care has detailed PHC68949 in a special article in this magazine.

At the recent Brazilian Congress of Nematology (CBN 2023), Ingal Agrotecnologia presented its product, Organic Bloom, a plant bioactivator that stimulates resistance against pests and diseases. Organic Bloom is an organic solution based on phytic acid extracted from rice bran and amino acids from soybean. Years of research showed that Organic Bloom is also efficient in managing the main nematodes that compromise the productivity of soybeans, corn, beans and cotton. 

References:

1. VICTRATO^®: A New Seed Treatment Tackling the Hidden Threat to Yields

https://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---47175.htm

2. Pratylenchus, Gall Nematodes are most commonly found in 2022/2023 Brazilian soybean crop

https://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---45174.htm

3. Brazilian market for nematicides grows 10 times in 8 harvests

https://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---45921.htm

4. Sugarcane biocontrol market in Brazil: The story of planting is changing; by Carlo Gamper Cardinali

https://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---40349.htm

This article was initially published in AgroPages' '2023 Latin America Focus' magazine.

If you would like to share your company's story. Please contact Christina Xie at christina@agropages.com