With a cabin to simulate rain, the Spraying Adjuvants program delivers cutting-edge research to agribusiness

With investments in the development and scientific validation of a cabin, specifically for simulating agricultural pesticide applications under different rainfall conditions, the Spraying Adjuvants program starts to develop, in its laboratory in Jundiaí, the analysis of yet another product functionality adjuvants: the so-called 'adhesive effect' of these inputs in the agricultural spraying process. The information is from researcher Hamilton Ramos.

According to Ramos, program coordinator, the new research technique anchored in the spray booth and rainfall simulation was fully developed at CEA-IAC. Before it went into practical operation, he points out, it required two years of studies.

Ramos explains that adjuvants are chemical products used in the preparation of pesticide mixture, before spraying crops. From an agronomic point of view, the researcher emphasizes, adjuvants interfere with the effectiveness of spraying, by adding adhesive, spreading, humectant or penetrating effects to agricultural pesticides, for example. “An adjuvant of dubious functionality, associated with a good quality pesticide, puts investment in the control of pests, diseases and weeds at risk”, summarizes the researcher.

According to Ramos, the Spraying Adjuvants Program has existed for more than ten years and is the result of a partnership between the private sector and the Engineering and Automation Center (CEA), of the Agronomic Institute (IAC), an agency of the State Department of Agriculture and Supply. from Sao Paulo.

Certification and registration – As the researcher highlights, last October, the Spray Adjuvants program gave six companies the first certifications under the new Functionality Quality Seal for Agricultural Adjuvants, recently created, after making investments in the laboratory of the CEA-IAC. The companies Agrocete, Apex Agro, Equilex Chemicals, Momentive Performance Materials, Thera Química and Vittia received recognition.

Ramos points out that agricultural adjuvants do not require registration with regulatory bodies, unlike what happens with agricultural pesticides. “As there is no regulatory control, the market needs to seek mechanisms that ensure the quality of adjuvants sold in Brazil, hence the emergence of this set of research that gave rise to the seal, now issued by the CEA-IAC.” Ramos also adds that at least ten companies in the adjuvant sector, in addition to the six that have already received the seal, are submitting products to analyzes with a view to certifying their functionality.

“The seal transfers the seal of quality to the manufacturer and also brings security to the rural producer, when choosing the adjuvants to be used in the harvest, in treatments against pests, diseases and weeds, which require significant investments in the properties”, concludes Ramos .