Vitales launches bionematicide Gratto Nema in Brazil

The Brazilian company Vitales, part of the UbyAgro Group, announced the launch of the biological nematicide Gratto Nema during the 39th edition of the Brazilian Congress of Nematology (CBN). 

Formulated with the fungus Purpureocillium lilacinum, strain PL11, the product is recommended for soil application and seed treatment to control the nematodes Meloidogyne incognita and Meloidogyne javanica.

According to the manufacturer, it is a product with ″proven agronomic efficiency in lettuce, carrot, and soybean crops, and can be used in any crop where the biological target occurs.″ This is the first time that Vitales has participated in the CBN, bringing its Gratto product line portfolio.

The manufacturer described the launch of Gratto Nema as ″highly efficient and sustainable,″ and it is recommended for integrated pest management. ″Nematodes are difficult to control. They attack plant roots, causing the formation of lesions, galls, and cysts that hinder water and nutrient absorption by the roots,″ explained Fernando Sousa, Marketing and Biologicals Manager at Vitales.

According to him, Gratto Nema is a solution that controls eggs, juveniles, and adults of the main phytoparasitic nematodes. ″Recommended for different crops, the producer obtains a series of benefits, such as reducing the nematode population through the parasitism of females, eggs, and nematodes in the mobile stage, without causing any imbalance in the soil microbiota and harm to the environment, thus improving productivity,″ Fernando emphasized.

Held in the Brazilian state of Paraná, the event is promoted by the Brazilian Society of Nematology in partnership with the Organization of Nematologists of Tropical America and the State University of Maringá (UEM). Considered one of the most important events on the country's scientific calendar, it brings together more than 600 specialists in the field, including researchers, students, consultants, and professionals from national and international companies.

In addition to the stands for product launches and company exhibitions, the organizers of the 39th edition of the CBN held interactive meetings with various professionals related to Agricultural Nematology, lectures by specialists to disseminate information, knowledge, and experiences around the challenges and strategic solutions for managing plant parasitic nematodes.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)