How can local companies, multinational companies, European and American companies develop the Latin American agricultural biologics market?

The World Agrochemical Network Chinese Network reports: Biological inputs have become an important tool for IPM programs to achieve cost-effectiveness and sustainability. In recent years, the rise and vigorous development of biological control products and biological fertilizers in some Latin American countries is beyond doubt, and the successive introduction or discussion of relevant policies also reflects the government's encouragement and support attitude towards the development and promotion of biological products.

Riding on the east wind of industry development, developers and distributors of various biological inputs have taken turns to take the stage in the past year or so, and new technologies, new products and new applications have emerged in an endless stream, and the development potential of agricultural biological inputs in Latin America has been revealed.

Latin American company: a wide range of product categories, 3 microorganisms are focused on application

The participants in the Latin American bioproduct market are mainly local companies, of which Brazilian startups are the most active. Brazil is also a pioneer in the development of biological products in Latin America, and Embrapa Brazil said that the country is already a world leader in biological inputs, with more than 500 biological products registered so far.

For more than a year, local companies have launched a wide range of biological products in the region, covering natural enemies, biological pesticides, biobicides, biodematerials, etc.

Brazil's Grupo Vittia, Promip and BioIn Biotecnologia have launched three predatory animal products, of which Grupo Vitia's Brazilian-registered Criso-Vit can fight seven pests, including whiteflies, green aphids, cotton aphids and so on. The other three products are used to control whiteflies; Grass greed, soybean nocturnal moth, etc.

Among the biocides, most of them are microbial-based fungicides, and Trichoderma harz and Bacillus amyloidii are two microorganisms that have attracted wide attention. Agrivalle Brazil has launched Twixx-A based on two strains of Bacillus amylogenes to extensively control foliar diseases in soybean, corn, legume and cotton crops; Brazil's Spraytec seed treatment agent using Trichoderma Harz is aimed at wheat and barley; Bactel, a biocide based on Bacillus amylogenes, listed in Dillon Biotecnologia, Brazil, is mainly used to prevent and control fungal diseases such as anthrax on crops such as strawberries, grapes and vegetables. Argentina's Rizobacter launched Rizoderma, a seed-treating fungicide containing Trichoderma, and In Brazil, it launched a new product, Rizoderma TSI, containing Trichoderma afroharzianum.

Biotrop registered in Brazil at the end of 2021 with the multi-action site biocide Bombardeiro, which contains three strains of Bacillus Velez, Bacillus breve and Bacillus subtilis, which can prevent and control a variety of terminal growth diseases of soybeans. IHARA has also launched Romeo (Cerevisane), a biocide in Brazil to control Asian rust in soybeans, which contains specific products isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The newly introduced bio-pesticides are mainly used to control grass greed, and such companies are represented by Embrapa, Promip and so on. Coccidioides is one of the microorganisms commonly used in biological insecticides, and both Brazilian Promip and Dillon Biotecnologia have launched products based on this microorganism. In addition, innova Chile had a fungus-based biopesticide registered in Chile last year.

Multinational corporations: Focus on the brazilian nematode disease sector

Multinational agrochemical companies quickly entered the local biologics sector through a large number of acquisitions of local companies. As they gain a foothold in this emerging technology frontier, it will be possible to maintain a high level of growth in the South American market in the future.

Over the past year, MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES SUCH AS BASF, Phu Mei Shi, Adama, UPL and other multinational companies have actively participated in the blue ocean market of biological products in Latin America that is rapidly developing; In addition, Sumitomo Chemical and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. have also launched or registered new products. From the perspective of disease prevention and control, most companies have invariably set their sights on the field of nematode diseases.

Some institutions predict that in the next 5 years, the Brazilian nematicide market is expected to grow by about 14%, much higher than the growth rate of fungicides (3%) and insecticides (2%). Among them, biological pesticides will occupy an important position.

BASF's first product in Brazil, Votivo Prime, two products based on Bacillus licheni and Bacillus subtilis, Adama's sterilization of three microorganisms containing Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus Velez and Bacillus amyloid, protégé, and Sumitomo Chemical's seed treatment agent based on Bacillus amyloids As well as Mitsui & Co.,Ltd.'s newly registered products based on penicillium lilac, they all have the effect of preventing and controlling nematodes.

In addition, BASF has also officially entered the Argentine bioproduct field this year with a biocide based on Bacillus amylogenesis, Serifel.

European and American companies: Extensive layout of Latin American markets outside Brazil

The huge growth space of the agricultural biologics market in Latin America has also attracted innovative companies from Spain, the United States, Canada, France and other countries, and unlike multinational companies investing heavily in the Brazilian nematode disease market, most of these companies have avoided the fiercely competitive and large Brazilian market over the past year or so, and used proprietary specialty products to find profit points in other markets.

Plant Health Care in the United States is one of the most active European and American companies in Latin America, and its core product plant immune inducer, Harpin Alpha Beta, has been launched in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay; In 2021, it also launched its first product with PRE tec technology, Saori™, for soybean rust in Asia, and Brazil was the first country to approve the PREtec peptide.

Several Spanish companies have expanded into many Latin American countries with their own specialty products, and Idai Nature has launched its PREV-AM® based on orange oil in Mexico with insecticidal, mite and bactericidal activities; Seipasa launches its range of biostimulants in Ecuador, where the company has been operating in Chile since 2020; Futureco Bioscience is based on the insect pathogenic fungus Cordyceps fumosorosea, a biopesticide NOFLY WP for livenites, aphids, thrips and other pests registered in Guatemala; Atlántica Agrícola further strengthened its market position in Latin America through four new product registrations, covering Colombia, Peru and Mexico. The company also plans to register more new products in Chile, Ecuador and Costa Rica; Daymsa obtained a registration in Brazil for the prevention and control of powdery mildew in strawberries (based on cinnamaldehyde).

In addition, Canada's Bee Vectoring Technologies announced that it will register a biocide based on the proprietary pink broom mold CR-7 in Mexico; French Agtech began operating a water-saving technology based on plant phytosterols in Brazil to cope with water stress; South African company MBFi has also pledged to provide green pesticides to the Argentine market.