Brazil has approved the first seed treatment product using PREtec technology, PHC279, to be marketed to prevent and control soybean rust in Asia

"Recently, Plant Health Care, the world's leading supplier of new patented biological protection products in the agricultural market, announced that its new seed treatment product PHC279 has been federally approved in Brazil for the prevention and control of Asian soybean rust (ASR), " the World Agrochemical Network Chinese.com reported.
PHC279 is the first product to go on sale in Brazil on Plant Health Care's PREtec technology platform, which has received more than $20 million in investments worldwide over the past eight years.
PHC279 has the potential to provide disease prevention and control for Brazilian soybean growers and increase production by approximately $75/ha, which gives growers a return on investment of 6 times or more while reducing the use of potentially less safe agrochemicals.
the environmental characteristics and unique working methods of PHC279 are expected to make it widely used by Brazilian growers.
aims to launch PHC279 in the second half of 2021 and expects to achieve high market penetration over the next 2-3 years, with gross margins expected to be comparable to current Harpin products.
PREtec peptide represents a novel technology that stimulates plants to initiate defense mechanisms.
PREtec, a peptide derived from natural hypersensitive proteins (short chains of amino acids), is an environmentally friendly method for protecting crops and is compatible with current mainstream agricultural practices.
is the world's leading soybean producer, with 38.6 million hectares (95.3 million acres) sown in the current season.
, caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is a devastating disease that is expected to reduce crop yields by up to 90 per cent.
Brazilian soybean growers spent $2 billion on fungicides to prevent and control ASRs during the 2016/2017 harvest.
over time, the heavy use of traditional chemical fungicides has led to a gradual decline in the efficacy of these products, highlighting the demand for new environmentally friendly products such as PHC279.
Brazil's regulatory procedures for agricultural products involve detailed review and approval by three government agencies.
The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) confirms the effectiveness of the product, the Brazilian Health Supervision Authority (ANVISA) verifies the safety of humans in the use of medium food, and the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) confirms that the product does not pose a threat to the environment.
the time required for routine pesticide registration may be six years or more, PHC279 was approved by all three agencies within a year and successfully passed regulation.
confirms the Brazilian government's commitment to promoting effective and environmentally friendly products.
Richards, chief executive of Plant Health Care, said PHC279 was the first of many products they plan to launch in Brazil using the company's PRE tec platform.
regulatory approval from Brazil in less than 12 months is a strong endorsement of phC279 sustainability certification.
They expect to use PHC279 in the 2021/22 soybean growing season, and the company is pushing ahead with plans to secure distribution partners; outside Brazil, they are preparing to launch the new technology directly into the U.S. and other countries, with an initial target market value of $5 billion.