FMC launches biofungicide Ataplan for soil-borne disease control

Multinational company FMC has announced to AgroPages the launch of the biofungicide Ataplan (Bacillus velezensis CEPA RTI301 + Bacillus subtilis CEPA RTI477). 

According to the manufacturer, this new biological solution protects crops against the attack of key soil-borne fungi such as Fusarium sp., Rhizoctonia sp., Phytium sp., and Colletotrichum sp. These threats can affect seed germination and seedling emergence, leading to damping-off, which affects the final stand of plants, reducing the crop's productive potential by 10 to 40% and the grain quality.

"Ataplan ensures the best establishment of the plantation, as it reduces seedling death and enables longer-term protection against soil pathogens," explained Antônio Soares, FMC's biological manager. These fungi typically survive in crop residues or host plants and enter fields using contaminated machinery and implements or uncertified seeds.

The new FMC biofungicide acts on contact, with multiple mechanisms of action, and can be used in key crops where soil diseases cause damage. It is recommended for use in seed and furrow treatment, and its high-tech formulation contains bacteria in the form of endospores, ensuring usage flexibility and compatibility with chemical products. 

"This solution complements the management with chemical fungicides used in seed treatment, as they protect seedlings in the first five days after sowing, and Ataplan, due to its mode of action and colonization capacity of the radicle and crop roots, extends the control period, ensuring greater protection," Antônio said.

The manager also emphasized that the product can be used by farmers without interfering with current management due to this compatibility and the possibility of application in any weather condition, unlike other biological products based on fungi. 

"The demand for sustainable solutions is increasing every day worldwide, and FMC has been a pioneer in biological products in Brazil since 2007," the manager stressed. "Globally, our investments in research and development in this area are significant to contribute to agribusiness and also to offer a set of high-performance tools for pests and diseases for generations of farmers," he said in conclusion.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)

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