The future of innovative plant protection is to 'teach' plants to protect themselves

Producing more with less environmental impact has become one of the tenets of modern agriculture. Farmers are increasingly seeking new ways to strengthen plant defenses while maintaining a balance between productivity and sustainability. At UPL, we like to call this process "reimagining sustainability." In this scenario, the combination of science and technology takes center stage, developing solutions that help plants express their full productive potential, even under adverse conditions. 

Among the most recent innovations, a technology capable of activating plants' natural immune systems stands out, making them better prepared to respond to pathogen attacks and other types of stress. This technology is known as "defense inducer." 

There are various active ingredients available on the market that activate the plant resistance system. The acquired resistance system, activated after contact with a disease, and the induced resistance system, activated by beneficial microorganisms, are the two. However, before a response from either resistance system is triggered, there is a first layer of defense, where a network of receptors is activated based on the recognition of molecular patterns, which are responsible for balancing activations between the systems. 

This process, known as basal immune system activation, creates a kind of immunological memory, through which the plant "learns" from the stimulus and responds more quickly and effectively when exposed to a stressful condition again. This activation does not negatively impact metabolism or compromise final yield, resulting in improved production performance. This is how Luminus works, recently launched by UPL Brasil, after a partnership with Elemental Enzymes. 

This development aligns with current agricultural needs, especially given the increasingly intense climate changes observed with each harvest, the increased pressure from foliar diseases, and the constant search by producers for greater operational efficiency. In this context, relying on increasingly effective biological solutions is essential. Luminus technology stands out for promoting plants that are more responsive to foliar disease attacks, particularly in the control of leaf spots such as Septoria and Cercospora in soybeans, as well as white spot and rust in corn. All this combined with ease of operation, compatibility with other chemical inputs, low dosage, and reliable results. 

That's not all: the product is completely biological, leaves no toxic residue and is highly biodegradable – therefore, safe for both the environment and for plants, animals and humans.  

Thus, UPL once again reinforces its commitment to innovation, launching the newest generation of biologics, a highly stable biochemical molecule, free of living organisms, that offers fast and precise action. Luminus is so innovative that a new category was created for it in the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) Global 2025, the international committee responsible for classifying the modes of action of active ingredients. FRAC-BR is expected to update this category soon.  

UPL has historically been a pioneer in fungicides. A decade ago, UPL created so-called multi-site fungicides, with Unizeb Gold, and has been a leader in this category ever since. With Luminus, we continue this history of pioneering and commitment to agriculture, offering a product based on an exclusive foliar peptide, an innovation that is ahead of what currently prevails in the market. More than controlling diseases (such as leaf spot in soybeans and corn), we aim to stimulate physiological balance. In other words, the goal is to translate this technical language into high productivity, high quality, and reduced environmental impact. 

*By Mariana Yama, biocontrol manager at UPL Brasil