AgBiTech launches technology that enhances the biological control of caterpillars and management of resistance to insecticides  

AgBiTech launches Chamariz, a new moth attractant, in Brazil. Formulated with inputs approved by the FAO, and officially recommended by authorities in Australia, a researcher at the Federal University of Goias, Brazil, says this technology will help farmers trap moths entering their fields early on. 

São Paulo (SP) – AgBiTech Brasil has launched a biological control tool that, according to recent surveys, reduces the population of moths in cotton fields by over 90%. Described conceptually as an “attractant” for moths, it is 100% natural and is a mixture of plant extracts. The product, trade name Chamariz®, is also safe, efficient, and selective to the target insects. 

Chamariz® can be applied either from the air or on the ground as the adult moth population increases. “It is essential to monitor the moths”, observes Mr. Marcelo Lima, agronomist and Research & Development manager for AgBiTech in Brasil. “The product attracts moths and controls them through the action of an insecticide, mixed in low proportion to the attractant, preventing the development of the pest and its progress over the cotton fields”, he further explains. 

According to Mr. Lima, Chamariz® is the result of an innovative collaboration that began in Australia and was extended to Brasil on a pilot basis about two years ago. In Brasil, it has been analyzed jointly with big producers, official bodies, agronomy colleges such as the Federal University of Goias, and AgBiTech Research & Development scientists. 

According to the company, analysis carried out so far indicates that Chamariz® performs well in attracting moths of species such as Spodoptera frugiperda, Spodotera eridania, Spodoptera cosmioides, Anticarsia gemmatalis, Elasmopalpus lignosellus, Helicoverpa armigera, H. zea, and Chloridea virescens, among others.

For the researchers, the product will bring a new evolutive stage in pest control by utilizing food attractants in the cotton field, which, along with biological controls, “will represent a milestone in integrated pest management in this crop”, according to Mr. Lima. For AgBiTech, Chamariz® is yet another tool in the basket it offers to growers to manage pests resistant to chemical insecticides and biotechnologies. 

“If the producer keeps this tool in the field, through traps or bands, he will have a chance to eliminate a significant percentage of eggs and, consequently, of caterpillars in his or her land”, emphasizes Dr. Cecilia Czepak, professor at the Agronomy College at the Federal University of Goias. 

“Regarding the looper caterpillar (Chrysodeixis includens), for example, we know that the female can lay 600 eggs on average. This is to say that if we remove 50 females from the field, we will prevent, by behavioral control, the hatching of 30 thousand caterpillars at least,” explains the researcher. “During the tests, we were able to collect, in a single trap, more than 1,500 moths of loopers. As a rough estimate, therefore, we can conclude that if half of these were females, we prevented the hatching of 450,000 caterpillars,” she says.

Large open fields – According to AgBiTech, at least five big groups of Brazilian cotton producers will use the new technology in the 2020-21 crop. “In Australia, Chamariz® was adopted by 60% of growers in the first year after its launch for resistance management, recommended by regulatory agencies in the country. A larger global agrochemicals company has also endorsed the product for the same purpose,” says the R&D manager.

Mr. Lima also points out that the formulation of Chamariz® contains active ingredients that are additives for food products, approved by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 

Since 2002, AgBiTech has been delivering commercially proven products that help make farming more profitable and sustainable. AgBiTech combines field experience with innovative science and proprietary technology, working with farmers, advisors and researchers to develop products that deliver highly effective biological insect management solutions. AgBiTech manufactures all of its products in-house, with a tireless focus on quality and efficiency, allowing it to produce consistent and cost-effective biological products that have established market leading positions. For further information, visit www.agbitech.com or www.agbitech.com.br.   

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