Seipasa: ″Compared to mancozeb, Seican is a safe and reliable alternative that will allow us to access the most demanding consumer markets″

Carlos López, technical director of Seipasa for Mexico and LATAM, outlines the keys to Seican’s new phytosanitary registration for the control of black sigatoka in bananas.

Carlos López, technical director of Seipasa for Mexico and LATAM

1. Define Seican’s key points.

Seican is a biological fungicide and acaricide developed and registered by Seipasa. It is a product with different biological targets for the control of fungi, including black sigatoka, with a curative and protective action, both of which are differentiated modes of action.

In the case of black sigatoka, we use the term protectant, which basically refers to products that prevent the development or multiplication of spores. There are different types of chemically synthesised fungicides for this purpose, each with different objectives. The advantage we have with Seican is that it has a protective effect, i.e. it does not allow the spore to develop, and it also has a preventive, curative and eradicative effect. It also has the great advantage that it can be used in management plans at any stage of the crop, including harvest.

2. Tell us about its management and the results that support its efficacy in bananas.

Seipasa has been working on the development of control strategies for black sigatoka in bananas. We have different tools in which Seican is gaining ground, obtaining efficiencies of over 80% in treatments at doses of 1 litre per hectare with 3 repetitions, even with efficiencies of over 90% in doses of 1.5 litres per hectare in single-leaf evaluations, which are the most practical and reliable to see the evolution of the disease. During this development it was also found that the product has no negative effect on beneficial species.

It should be emphasised that Seican helps us to maintain the photosynthetic functionality of the leaves by preventing the development and proliferation of the fungus. Furthermore, we have evidence that by incorporating Seican into rotation plans as part of integrated management, we maintain the same level of biological efficacy that chemically synthesised products can have.

3. What is the product’s value-added compared to other references on the market?

Mancozeb is undoubtedly the protagonist of this type of control within the range of protectants. The advantage that Seican gives us over mancozeb is that it allows us to maintain the same level of efficacy, but to do so within the regulatory framework that has already restricted the use of mancozeb. Mancozeb is a fungicide that will be restricted and phased out as other synthetic agrochemicals, mainly insecticides, have been as part of this balance.

Seican is a safe and reliable alternative that will allow us to access the most demanding consumer markets, thanks to the fact that the product has all the certifications and regulations that guarantee its use. It should not be forgotten that the efficient use of Seican will allow us not only to reduce the chemical burden on the crop, but also to reduce production costs.

4. Its active ingredient is classified in the FRAC group BM 03. Why should we see this as an advantage?

The FRAC (Fungicide Resistance Action Committee) is a very important reference for growers and certifiers. Having the support of this international body as a fungicide regulator gives confidence in the use of rotation strategies. Cinnamic aldehyde has recently been included in this group of multipurpose biological molecules as purified metabolites from plant or microbial sources. 

This inclusion demonstrates that the level of biological efficacy covered by a synthetic product can also be achieved with this type of naturally occurring molecule, from which we have developed Seican. 

Seican can also have multi-site functionality, like some types of chemically synthesised fungicides. So we have a direct lysis effect as a protectant, and another preventive, curative and anti-sporulant effect that can also fall under the protectant one. All of this is in line with Seipasa’s concept of Natural Technology, where we offer effective solutions for farming based on innovation and research using substances of botanical and microbiological origin.

5. What benefits does Seican bring to growers in terms of crop rotation strategies?

Seipasa’s Natural Technology concept is evolving hand in hand with international regulations, which are setting new types of restrictions that are already being generated and which require a reduction in the chemical burden of treatments. 

With Seican we have a product that offers precision, speed, efficiency and flexibility of use. It has multiple modes of action in a single molecule, useful in integrated management to prevent the emergence of resistance and suitable for use in both organic and conventional farming. 

With Seican, farmers have an alternative and proven tool that has been approved by FRAC, the main body that can support the biological effectiveness of this type of molecule. Seipasa is always at the forefront of this type of solution, offering different strategies, and we now have a leading tool for managing black sigatoka in bananas.