Life Biological Control launches Defender Soy in Brazil

Life Biological Control has exclusively announced to AgroPages the launch of Defender Soy bioinput to combat stink bug infestations in Brazilian soybean crops. 

Based on the parasitoid wasp Telenomus podisi, the new alternative promises to reduce chemical pesticide use by up to 30%.

Life Biological Control's CEO, Cristiane Tibola, stated that Defender Soy biopesticide offers benefits such as egg control, resistant population management, pod loss prevention, and reduction of adult pest populations at the end of the soybean cycle.

"The micro-wasps parasitize stink bug eggs in the field, being one of the only products that control eggs, which is a very important differential, as it prevents these new stink bugs from hatching and causing damage, thus preventing the pest from settling on plants. Instead of a stink bug being born, a micro-wasp is born that will continue the biological control cycle in the crop," explained Cristiane Tibola, who specializes in biological pest control.

According to her, the Defender Soy application can reduce soybean productivity losses by up to one-third. In Brazil, only 0.3% of stink bug control is performed with biological tools, which causes resistance to chemical insecticides and increases control costs due to the need for more applications during the cycle.

"Defender Soy shows control above 95% in soybean cultivation. It is the only product in the market that eliminates stink bug eggs. The result is grain with better quality and weight, greatly improving seed vigor," emphasized Life Biological Control's CEO.

Introduced to the market for the 2024/2025 season, Defender Soy is registered with the Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) and is available to farmers in the Brazilian states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, and Mato Grosso do Sul within a radius of the factory in Piracicaba, São Paulo state. 

"We initially chose these regions because it is a macro biological living organism that has a short shelf life and needs quick and assertive logistics," the specialist added.

According to projections from the National Supply Company (Conab), Brazil's soybean planted area for the 2024-2025 season is expected to grow 3% to a historic 47.4 million hectares. To accompany this crop expansion, the use of biological pesticides in crops has also been increasing. According to research, Brazil currently has 36% of cultivated areas using some type of biological input.

Besides being a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical products, biological pesticides emerge as a strong ally in combating foliar diseases and pests, such as stink bugs. This pest alone can reduce soybean grain productivity by 30 to 40%, and if the planting is for seed multiplication (seed production), this number increases to up to 50% production loss.

According to research conducted by Embrapa Soja, the stink bug species most frequently found in soybean crops are the brown stink bug and the small green stink bug, which are the main targets in chemical insecticide applications. It is estimated that an average of four to eight insecticide sprays are performed per crop cycle to control stink bugs in soybeans. However, frequent insecticide use has favored the selection of resistant individuals, and control failures in the field have been frequently reported.

In conclusion, the researcher and CEO of Life reminded us of the importance of monitoring stink bug presence in the field when making decisions about the first applications and the other two that will occur during the soybean season. 

"This monitoring will be decisive for the final result of the product, which goes beyond soybean cultivation. In regions that plant second-crop corn, Defender Soy will be an important ally in controlling the green-belly stink bug that most attacks second-crop corn," Tibola said.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)

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