World Agrochemical Network Chinese Network reports: BASF recently listed Sefina insecticide in India, and its active ingredient is Inscalis, the first ingredient under the new chemical group Pyropenes®. As part of the Integrated Pest Management project, Sefina provides farmers with a new mechanism of pest control and resistance management tools. Currently, Sefina has been registered on cotton and other vegetable crops to control some key sucking pests such as leafhoppers and whiteflies (adult and early nymphs).
Gustavo Palerosi Carneiro, Senior Vice President of Crop Protection at BASF Asia Pacific, said that today's farmers in India are the first in the world to benefit from BASF's latest innovations. Agriculture is the biggest job on the planet, and BASF is committed to listening and understanding the needs of farmers in order to apply BASF's expertise to help them successfully meet this huge challenge.
Due to the fermentation process derived from natural fungi, Sefina is environmentally friendly and has no negative effects on important beneficial arthropods and pollinators. Sefina is quick to respond and quickly stops insects from feeding upon contact with treated crops. This reduces nutrient loss and infestation of harmful viral or bacterial pathogens, ultimately increasing crop yield and quality.
Sefina active ingredient Inscalis® was developed by BASF and Meiki Seika Pharma Co. Jointly developed by Ltd. (Meiji), it was originally invented by the Japanese Company and The Kitasato Research Institute's Omoshi, who was also the recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Inscalis is able to control key sucking pests such as aphids, whiteflies, psyllids and leafhoppers.
In India, BASF employs a dedicated team of nearly 200 crop protection experts to ensure market proximity and is one of India's leading providers of advanced crop protection solutions covering cotton, soybeans, corn, rice, wheat and vegetables. BASF established the Agricultural Research Station in Pune in 2015 to focus on local and global agricultural research. The company also opened a global R&D center at its Thane plant in New Mumbai, India, focusing on organic synthesis, advanced process development and formulation research, and the discovery of modern agricultural solutions. Worldwide, BASF invests around 500 million euros a year in crop protection research.