The Lithuanian Plant Protection Service has approved the registration of the new plant protection product Univoq™ after all the required procedures. This fungicide, which has no analogues on the market, is distinguished by the presence of a completely new active ingredient, Inatreq™ Active, from a new group of active ingredients known in the scientific world as fenpycoxamid. This means that even the most aggressive fungal diseases of cereals do not develop resistance to this substance. Another unique feature of this active ingredient is that it was found in nature, isolated from soil bacteria. https://youtu.be/K8KBUDXeHY8 According to Arnas Radzevičius, Commercial Director of Agrokoncernas, this is a particularly important step in the history of agronomy. The last group of active substances in crop protection was discovered almost twenty years ago. Such molecules are usually studied for about a decade, and the registration process takes a similar time. Between 2011 and 2018, an estimated 22 active substances were not approved or not renewed due to potential health and environmental impacts, representing a reduction in the product spectrum. There are many active substances currently in the queue, the fate of which is being decided by the European Commission. They are assessed in the light of the latest scientific data and research findings, using the most up-to-date documentation available for the assessment. Therefore, only active substances that do not pose a risk to human and animal health and the environment on the basis of the most recent scientific studies are approved and re-registered.
According to A. Radzevičius the EU’s particularly stringent requirements for active substances, the number of previously abundantly used products to combat cereal diseases is rapidly disappearing from the list. Plant protection products usually contain several active substances, so when one or more substances are de-registered, there are usually not many products left on the market that contained them. The farming community is therefore rightly concerned that the fight against cereal pathogens is becoming increasingly difficult.
The number of active substances that reliably fight crop diseases is declining by the dozens, while new and advanced ones are emerging. Bioproduct developers cannot be happy with effective products either. So far, the performance of their products is too weak.
“All the major plant protection product manufacturers are investing heavily in discovering substances of natural origin for the control of cereal pathogens. We are therefore delighted that in such a demanding environment, real diamonds are appearing – active ingredients such as Inatreq™ Active, found in nature and proven to be effective in research, are becoming a real lifesaver for cereal growers,” says A. Radzevičius.
“Inatreq™ Active was developed by Corteva Agriscience, a long-standing partner of the Agrokoncerno Group. This new material has been recognised as the most effective plant protection product against the main cereal pathogens in trials in seven countries. During the 8 years of pre-authorisation testing, almost 4,000 different mutations of the highly prevalent cereal disease septoria have been tested, none of which have been found to be resistant to this active substance.
Liveta Budreckytė, Head of the Plant Protection Products Group at Agrokoncernas, points out that Inatreq™ Active, the active ingredient in Univoq™, which is a completely new chemical class, was found in nature and isolated from soil bacteria. “This unique fungicide is specially formulated, easy to use, protective and therapeutic, and its ingredients evenly coat and penetrate the plant leaves. And most importantly, the causal agents of cereal diseases have no resistance to the active ingredient, so this fungicide is able to control all the major diseases of cereals,” she explains. During the registration process, the product was also tested for three years in Lithuania at AgroITC, Agrokoncernas’ Innovation and Research Centre. A. Radzevičius said that, on average over three years, the new product saved an average of 1.07 tonnes of healthy yield premium per hectare compared to unprotected crops. Harvests that are not protected from pathogens are not only inferior, but also harmful to the environment. Widespread and uncontrolled plant diseases also pose a risk to human health if they are brought to the table by low-quality products made from diseased cereals. “We are the only company in Lithuania with such a strong basket of plant protection products. We are delighted that the registration process for the new unique fungicide has been completed just in time for the start of the new season. It is through this new product that farmers will be able to effectively combat cereal diseases and produce healthier and more abundant harvests”, says A. Radzevičius. Find out more about the new product and how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/wliShdzLbhE
