Ihara announces technology against cotton boll weevil

Pest management in cotton is about to enter a new phase, with yet another solution made available by Ihara, a reference company in the research and development of agricultural technologies. The company's most recent launch, BESTPHOS, arrives on the market, with the mission of combating the main pest of this crop: the cotton boll weevil.

The product combines, in an unprecedented composition, two active ingredients for control. Its EC (Emulsifiable Concentrate) formulation guarantees immediate high performance - the so-called shock control -, in addition to prolonged residual action. The results indicate 100% efficiency in control, proven in tests conducted by several entities, such as the Instituto Matogrossense do Algodão (IMA), Fundação Bahia and the Instituto Goiano de Agricultura (IGA), among others.

Another strong point of BESTPHOS is the extensive list of targets registered in the leaflet, proving its efficiency for controlling a broad spectrum of pests, in 14 different crops. For cotton pests, the registry includes the fight against caterpillars, leafhoppers, thrips and biting bugs. The novelty also proved to be 100% effective in combating cotton mites in just a few hours, a problem that has grown rapidly and against which there are still few control options.

"Despite its large production, cotton is a very sensitive crop. It suffers from soil quality, climate issues and lack of water. But it suffers, above all, from attacks by enemies, such as pests, fungi and weeds. Without correct control , these threats can lead to complete devastation of the crop”, explains Ihara Regional Marketing Manager, Roberto Rodrigues.

He highlights that Ihara has been a reference in cotton farming for decades, since the beginning of its expansion process in the country. “Exactly because Ihara knows the challenges of this crop so well, it invests in the continuous development of solutions and, thus, brings another excellent tool for controlling cotton boll weevil. This segment is also where we are already a reference within this market, with the CHASER CW and PIREPHOS EC products.”

According to Roberto Rodrigues, even though it already has highly effective products for this same target, the company's strategy with the new launch is to offer options for producers to promote the rotation of active ingredients, an essential strategy for effective management, not only against the boll weevil, as well as a wide spectrum of cotton pests.

Risks to productivity

Considered the main pest of cotton plants in the Americas, the boll weevil has a short life cycle, great reproductive speed and devastating action. It attacks the flower buds, which fall to the ground. Without control, losses amount to up to 70% of the plume's productivity.

In addition to being very destructive, it is also a difficult target to control. Brazilian producers make, on average, 16 annual applications against boll weevil in cotton. In some states, such as Bahia, some crops receive up to 20 to 30 doses per year for this control.

“Brazilian cotton farming is one of the largest, most competitive, productive and sustainable in the world. Behind the good results achieved, year after year, are immense efforts in productivity and quality, with increasing technology, innovation and knowledge. Our work needs to be uninterrupted, always investing in research and the development of new products and solutions capable of truly protecting the productive potential of Brazilian crops”, adds the Regional Marketing Manager at Ihara.