Only 107 biological control products registered in Brazil
Date:03-19-2015
There are only 107 commercial products of biological control registered in Brazil, according to data from the Association of Brazilian Businesses of Biological Control (ABBBC). These products are registered by 50 companies of the industry. Among the registered products, 78 are microbiological - fungus, bacterias, and viruses, 7 are pheromones and 22 are macro-biological - parasites, predators, and parasitoids.
According to ABBBC, the biological control industry is facing a huge challenge in Brazil. Because it is difficult to obtain a registration and also because the same legislation has been used for all agrochemicals, there is a limited availability of commercial products and active ingredients containing biological control agents for plant diseases in Brazil. "Growing demand and the slow procedures of registration favor the offer of non-registered products, low efficiency and doubtful efficiency, generating discredit for the sector", the association says.
Another issue mentioned by the association is the "lack of capacity of vendors for the recommendation and use of biologicals." Frequently, the slow action of microorganisms generates distrust by farmers regarding the effectiveness. Besides, the low quality of non-registered products sold informally in the market also harms the results.
The association yet points out that “the large-scale production of biological control agents in Brazil needs to evolve to meet the growing demand, besides establishing specific norms for control, quality, and enforcement, as well as investing on studies to adequate the use for diverse systems".
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