P L A N T

P R OT E C T I O N
C O R N E R
22
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IN THE ELEVENTH-FIVE YEAR
PLAN, China includes develop-
ment of natural solutions. It men-
tions that Agricultural bio prod-
ucts such as bio pesticides, bio fer-
tilizers, bio PGRs, feed additives
should be developed and promot-
ed. Biological products and formu-
lations for animal use should be
developed and applied. Also, the
plan should increase the usage
ratio of bio pesticide, bio fertilizer
and microorganism fully degrad-
able. The Plan also promotes
enterprise groups manufacturing
green agriculture biological prod-
ucts, improving the self-renovation
capability and international com-
petition, and relieving agriculture
pollution effectively.
ABUNDANT RAW MATERIAL,
SOPHISTICATED PRODUCTION
UNITS
Biopesticides overview described
by Sharron Shen includes several
products, coming either from
bioactive maters or living organ-
isms and also pesticides syntheti-
cally made that are perfect copy of
the native natural compounds. In
regulations for pesticide registra-
tion approved by chinese Ministry
of agriculture, classification indi-
cates 5 big well known categories:
microbials, botanicals, macrobials,
semiochemicals and transgenics.
As there is abundant raw material
for biopesticides in China, many
applications are ready to develop.
Sharron Shen quotes a few botan-
icals: Stemona, Tripterygium,
Euphorbia, Croton, Melia, Sophora
flavescens... The point is to get the
most active ingredients from the
plants. Beijing Multigrass
Formulation works on novel for-
mulations and ultrasonic extraction
equipments. New technologies use
advanced pulverization: ultrafine
dusting, airflow pulverization, low-
temperature pulverization to get
10 um particle diameter powder.
Extraction is developed by different
paths: supercritical fluid extraction,
macroporous resin adsorption,
ultrafine crushing, enzyme extrac-
tion, molecular imprinting separa-
tion, high speed countercurrent
chromatography. Separation tech-
nologies are also tested: coagula-
tion sedimentation, macroporous
rosin adsorption, ultrafiltration,
ultracentrifugation.
2500 PRODUCTS OF
WHICH MANY ARE BOTANICALS
Currently, there are over 80 active
ingredients of biological pesticides
and 2500 products in the Chinese
market, including agricultural
antibiotics. The output exceeds
100,000 tons. The majority is insec-
ticides and fungicides, and the con-
sumption covers an area of over
400 million acres (more than 160
million ha). However, when not tak-
ing into account abmectin prod-
ucts, there are only about 1100
products. Among them, there are
24 microbial pesticides, including 8
bacterial, 6 fungi, 10 virus, about
300 products in total; 21 botanical
pesticides, about 130 products in
total. 7 protein and oligosaccahrin
based products, 30 products in
total. 10 biochemicals (semiochem-
icals), over 200 products in total. 1
natural enemy (macrobial), 3 prod-
ucts. 17 agricultural antibiotics,
1800 products in total (Abamectin
alone is over 1400 products and
Validamycin is 220 products).
ESTABLISHED
REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
The Institute for the Control of
Agrochemicals at the Ministry of
Agriculture refers to some estab-
lished methods for the registration
management of pesticides.
Currently in China, the biological
pesticides, to be registered as spe-
cial pesticides, are biochemicals,
botanical pesticides and microbial
pesticides. Biologicals are entitled
to special registration policy, which
is mainly reflected on the remission
of parts of registration documents.
In most cases, the registration of
microbial pesticides does not need
ecotoxicology report, and residue
report can be omitted as well.
However, the integrated function
mechanism must be specified.
For biochemicals the synthetic
ingredients should be in comformi-
ty to the ones that exist in nature.
Moreover, it should be non-toxic to
targets.
For botanicals, the environmental
impact doesnt need to be
assessed. Although the residue
report is in principle subject to the
chemical pesticides legislation, it
can be omitted as well in case the
products meet the requirements.
Biomimetic pesticides and agricul-
tural antibiotics are treated equally
as chemical pesticides.
Beijing Multigrass has already
developed several biofungicides :
Anvir (protein amylose); Baiclean
(based on Oligosaccharin) used
against beetroot knots and cucum-
ber downy mildew; Bipor based on
bioflavonoid.
After developing on domestic mar-
ket, the next step for the company
is to enter international markets. In
Asia, the biopesticides market rep-
resents 15% of the total pesticides
market. Demands and market
value increases obviously says
Sharron Shen. In the past 5 years,
the value output for biocontrol was
between 0.67 and 1 billion dollars,
with an annual growth of 10% to
20% per year. Certainly a promis-
ing future for botanicals! n
Biological pesticide has a
long history in China. 2500
years ago, it was mentioned
in the Chinese ancient book
The Classic of Mountains
and Seas that plants can
be used as raticide, said
Sharron Shen, Director
Global Market- Beijing
Multigrass Formulation in
her Bangkok lecture.
During the past 70 years,
biological pesticide
developed through three
stages in China. In 1940s
and 1950s, organic synthesis
pesticides took the lead; in
the 1990s, biological
pesticide reappeared due to
some environmental reasons;
in the past ten years, the
market value has increased
at a growth rate of 10% to
20%. Now biological
pesticides are entering into
a fast growth period.
Biological extracts have been
used for 2000 years in China,
with a wide experience on
medicinal plants. China has
indeed a unique traditional
herb theory. The biggest
market in China is still made
with specialty botanicals.
SHARRON SHEN
The Development of the Biopesticides
market in China
NEW AG INTERNATIONAL 27
P L A N T
P R OT E C T I O N
C O R N E R
THE QUESTION WAS to know
whether the performance of insecti-
cides changes when applied
together with humic matter (HM),
which is normally used on crops to
improve yield and quality. The trials
studied effect of foliar applied insec-
ticide + humic acid or fulvic acid.
FULVIC ACIDS ENHANCE SOME
PESTICIDES EFFECTS
As anticipated, results showed
that effect of foliar application of
straight humic acid (HA) or fulvic
acid (FA) has no killing effect
against white fly. Relating to
insecticides imidacloprid and
pymetrozine, their effect against
white fly decreases when applied
with HA. On the contrary, the
effect of imidacloprid and
pymetrozine against whitefly
increases when applied with FA.
After 7 days, imidacloprid + FA
together had 70% efficacy, but
imidacloprid alone only 50%.
When HA and FA combination are
compared, residue amount of
insecticides with FA was lower
than HA. The result shows that
humic matter increases degrada-
tion of insecticide (imidacloprid)
and also may affect pesticide wait-
ing time. This study should be
repeated in details with consumed
part of plant, measuring MRL
value.
When products were soil applied,
the result was the same as in the
foliar trials: soil application of
humic acid alone or fulvic acid
alone had no killing effect against
whitefly. Imidacloprid performance
against pest increased when
mixed with FA for soil application,
however it was not statistically
significant.
NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON
RESIDUES
Residue analysis was another part
of the study, after both foliar and
soil applications. Selected HM
products do not statistically cause
any change on degradation time
of insecticides active ingredients
(acetamiprid, imidacloprid and
pymetrozine) after 2 hours in tank-
mix.
Changes may happen on degrada-
tion time in the soil, for insecti-
cides applied with HM as a mix-
ture. Leaf residue of imidacloprid
alone was higher than if it was
mixed with HA and lower with FA.
It appears that FA increased
uptake of imidacloprid. Also FA
prolonged degradation time of
imidacloprid by slowing down the
process. On the other end, move-
ment of imidacloprid in leaf was
delayed and degradation time
increased when applied with HA.
These results show that Humic
substances applied together with
insecticides may cause changes on
both effect against target pest and
degradation time in plants.
Differences may also appear
depending on the composition of
HM and on chemical characteristic
of each insecticide. n
Although humic acids are
mostly known for their
ability to improve soil
properties and for their
biostimulating effects,
especially when foliar-
applied, interaction
between insecticides
and humic acids are
demonstrated by several
studies. Some research also
states the effect of humic
matter on some plant
diseases. The aim of the
research conducted by
Humintech & Izotar in
Turkey was to study
changes on biological
effect and degradation
duration of some
insecticides mixed with
humic matter. Treatments
against greenhouse white
fly (Trialeurodes
vaporariorum) on tomato
plants was used to bring
the evidence of such effect.
The white fly is a major
pest in Turkey, where 11
million tons of tomato are
produced every year, as
reported by
Dr. Canan YILMAZ
Agricultural Engineer and
Asst. General Manager of
Izotar A.S./TURKEY
DR. CANAN YILMAZ
Do humic acids have an effect on
the efficacy and degradation
of some pesticides?