Sega Science and Technology creates China’s first biological products, moving towards green development

Date:10-30-2020

Zhejiang Sega Science and Technology Co., Ltd. is located in the Yangtze River Delta Economic Region in China. In 2018, the company successfully transformed its business from conventional pesticide manufacturing to plant nutrition management, in parallel with green pesticide development. Sega Science and Technology possesses a full range of plant growth regulation products, being one of the manufacturers with the largest number of plant regulator registrations. It has also participated in the formulation of four national brassinolide standards, and its brassinolide products play a key role in reducing the use of chemical agents, protecting the environment and increasing farmers' incomes. Its products are exported to America, Europe, Southeast Asia, India and Pakistan, being well-recognized by customers at home and abroad.

After its transformation and getting its business running on the right path, what are the company’s innovations in the area of product research and development? What are the main products of the company? How has the company responded to the unexpected coronavirus outbreak? What is the future development trend of the biopesticide market in China? In the following interview, AgroPages again spoke to Sega Science and Technology to find out about its development.

AgroPages: Please brief us about the development history, innovation and research capabilities of Sega Science and Technology.

Founded in 2003, Zhejiang Sega Science and Technology Co., Ltd. is China’s national high-tech enterprise focusing on the research and development, production and application of biological pesticides, as well as fertilizers, supported by a world-class GLP laboratory. The company is centered on high-end agrotechnical research and development, targeting high and medium-end green pesticide research and production, to fulfill global market needs. While advancing the domestic market, the company is actively implementing a "going global" strategy, as part of its innovative business goal of "market promoting research and research developing market." From 16th July, 2019, the use of the company name, Zhejiang Sega Science and Technology, began.

Since its establishment, the company has developed more than 40 provincial-level product varieties and has participated in the drafting of national industrial standards for nine products. The products manufactured by the company are novel, effective and environmentally friendly. The company has now been awarded nine invention patents with independent intellectual property rights, while 13 invention patents have been filed at home and abroad. The company also focuses on product research and quality assurance, having received the municipal Huzhou Quality Award in 2019. Its products are sold in America, Europe, Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan, the Middle East and Africa, and are efficient, safe, environmentally friendly, well received and highly regarded by dealers and farmers at home and abroad. 

AgroPages: Your independently developed biological products are the first in China and are also your main products. Please introduce us to these products.

1. Plant stimulant series: Including plant growth regulators (brassinolide series, abscisic acid series and forchlorfenuron series), as well as biological fertilizers (endomycorrhizal fungi series). The annual output of the company's brassinolide series is 200 tons, covering a service area of 6.25 million Mu of farmland (41 hectares). Assuming that an income per Mu increases by Yuan50, the earnings of farmers will increase by Yuan312.5 million in total. At present, each local government is implementing a so-called "one-spray and three-protection" program for wheat production, with the "one spray" requiring the spraying of plant nutrition regulators. Meanwhile, Dingcui (24-epibrassinolideolide · gibberellin 0.4%) from the company's brassinolide series is one of the earliest registrations in China.

As a biological product, biological fertilizers from the endomycorrhizal fungi series can be used in agricultural production for grains, vegetables, fruits, gardening, flowers and other plants, as well as for the desertification of land. The products of this series enable plants to resist adverse environmental stresses, diseases and insect pests, promote the healthy growth of plants, reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides, and improve the soil environment to reduce the adverse effects on ecological environment. So far, ten national invention patents have been filed, with research work being supported by a GLP laboratory certified by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Green Pesticides Research Base, in cooperation with Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University and guest technical expert Dr. Ewald Sieverding, who is a crop cultivation management doctor at the University of Gottingen and an international crop cultivation consultant. The company was granted endomycorrhizal fungi registration by the Ministry of Agriculture in April 2020.

2. Green pesticide series: The company's formulation series are high-efficient, low-toxic and environmentally friendly, and are well-recognized by the market. At present, the company holds one lufenuron technical registration, the first in China, as well as three lufenuron formulation registrations. Among them, lufenuron . emamectin benzoate 3% SC, imidacloprid . difenoconazole 36% FS and nitenpyram . thiamethoxam 50% WDG are the company’s exclusive registrations in China, having been honored as a “National Innovation Fund-Supported Product,” “Zhejiang Famous Brand Product” and the third prize of the “Science and Technology Progress Award” of the National Federation of Industry and Commerce. Lufenuron . emamectin benzoate 3% SC is China’s first product that is a satisfactory substitute for conventional pesticides, as well as an ideal product for the forestry control of fall webworm.

Fall webworm is a worldwide pest subject to quarantine, which causes losses worth over Yuan66 billion to Chinese agriculture each year. Lufenuron . emamectin benzoate 3% is an SC agent that does not cause secondary pollution, making it environmentally friendly. The product can kill larva and eggs and reduce the hatching rate of oviposition. It also has a fast-acting and long-lasting effect, being an ideal product for controlling fall webworm in forests. At present, Sega Science and Technology is the only manufacturer in China of this product, which is driving the development and application of new technologies, materials and processes in the pesticide formulation industry.

3. Green prevention and control series: This series includes efficient agricultural adjuvants, sanitary products, sex attractants, gardening, forest protection and aerial crop protection products. The sex attractant, garden and forest protection products of the series can be used for nation-wide forestry protection and old tree protection. Their use in tourist areas, such as Hangzhou’s famous West Lake, Lingyin, Huangshan, Moganshan, Shandong’s Penglai and Anhui’s Guangde has been approved and proved effective. Their applications in tourist spots have also helped maintain the ecological completeness of scenic areas, ensuring the sustainable development of resources. The company has participated in drafting industrial standards for nine products within this series.

AgroPages: What are the measures taken by the company in response to the coronavirus outbreak?

In 2020, the sudden outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic caused losses to all industries in the country, while the gradual increase in temperature started the spring ploughing. After Chinese New Year, the company actively applied to resume its work and production to support the start of the spring ploughing while combating the pandemic. The company organized professionals to give lectures on planting, soil improvement and scientific methods of pesticide application, as well as to provide professional knowledge and technical support, to help users plant crops in a standardized manner and help farmers broaden the sales channels of their farm products. In terms of production activities, the company quickly responded to the government’s call and overcame difficulties to produce and deliver required products to farmers as soon as possible. These actions ensured the normal supply of agricultural materials and pesticides, which fulfilled the requirements of and ensured a smooth spring ploughing.

AgroPages: What was done in terms of corporate citizenship?

Since 2007, the company has established the "Loving Help Award," which rewards village volunteers who help the poor and other vulnerable groups of people. From 2013, the company’s staff began to partner with poverty-stricken college students to help poor students realize their dream of going to university. On a regular basis, the company organizes poverty alleviation events and conducts charitable work to contribute to social causes and philanthropy, having done considerable amount of practical work for the public.

AgroPages: How does the company view the future development trend of the Chinese biopesticide market?

In recent years, increasing government support for agriculture, farmers’ demand for efficient and low-residue green pesticides and the demand for pollution-free organic food have all created opportunities for the development of novel pesticides. In the future, the Chinese pesticide market will move towards efficient, low-toxic or non-toxic, and low residue green pesticide and biological pesticide development. Producing green products will be a requirement and future trend of pesticide development, and will become popular in the pesticide market, with promising market prospects.

Zhejiang Sega Science and Technology Co., Ltd. is prepared to adopt the central government's agricultural policies, help farmers increase their income and continue the industrialization of research achievements. In this way, as a business entity, we are able to truly develop ourselves on a sustainable basis while expanding production and improving quality to perfection, so consumers can have easy access to real green pesticides to serve agricultural production.