What it does BASF is a leader in the chemical industry and plant protection
Event of BASF gathered hundreds in Sofia young farmers – the new generation in agriculture, to introduce them to its unique crop protection products, smart applications in the sector and the latest software solutions to support producers.
The forum was opened by Krasimira Ivanova – Manager for Bulgaria of “BASF – Solutions in Agriculture”, who with her first words introduced the audience to the impressive scale of the German company. Of the 112,000 employees, 10,000 work entirely in development. Two billion is the annual budget for innovation. One billion is earmarked for agriculture. This makes BASF the biggest investor in agriculture in terms of crop protection, and this is very key. A thousand patents a year – this is one of BASF’s outstanding achievements, commented the manager for Bulgaria.
As many people work in the Verbund plant as there are residents of Gabrovo, and the rails in it are the length of Plovdiv to Burgas.
Krasimira Ivanova tried to list the industries in which BASF products are present – automotive (including Ferrari!), oil and gas extraction, the production of sports shoes, wind farms, glass and … almost everywhere, including in the camera of a spacecraft .
Regarding plant protection, the manager promised that BASF would soon release eight new active substances in Bulgaria.
The active substance and fungicide Revizol is an absolute innovation of the German company, Maria Nedelcheva, Commercial Manager, told the young farmers. The product penetrates 24 times faster into the plants, reaching the pathogen. It works flawlessly at low, normal and high temperatures, as well as in intense solar radiation, it is also sufficiently resistant to being washed away by rain. Revizol is the only triazole that works against resistant forms of septoria. The end result of its use is higher yields.
With the addition of other active substances to Revizol, Daxer, Revistar flex, Revicare in cereal crops, Revidas in oil crops, Reviona in perennial crops were created.
Daxer fungicide performed extremely well against the already changed spectrum of pests. It has a curative effect against brown rust. At the first signs of infection, Daxer, applied in the Dobrich region, successfully stopped the disease, the sales manager demonstrated with photos of the wheat crop.
Revistar flex is perfect for preventive control of yellow rust. And this shows the quality of the product, because unlike pathogens such as powdery mildew and septoria, which develop a little more slowly, yellow rusts are extremely fast.
Reticular spots on barley have a solution and it is called Sistiva. It is the fungicide that preempts the attack of diseases. By treating the seeds, farmers protect their crops for a very long time (5-6 months). And it is not for nothing that the active substance in Sistiva – xemium – is the most preferred SDHI in Bulgaria. In addition to protection, the product also provides very good crop physiology.
Priaxor is a vegetation fungicide, again with xemium. Xemium moves extremely quickly in the plant. And this is especially important if an initial infection has been established.
Priaxor is the most used SDHI fungicide in Bulgaria and the most preferred by farmers.
Serkadisused in perennial crops, and Dagonis in vegetables they use the same active substance – xemium.
In order not to enter the sunflower twice with fungicides, Maria Nedelcheva’s advice to producers is to solve all problems at once with Revidas. BASF’s latest fungicide for sunflower and canola is a solution against ten sunflower diseases. And its formulation was created especially for oil crops. Revidas covers both the strong wax coating on rapeseed leaves and the coarse hairy leaves of sunflower.
Pulsar plus is the herbicide that made the upgrade of Clearfield technology into Clearfield plus thanks not only to the active substance, but also to the three-component system of adjuvants. Handles blueknot and all difficult-to-control weeds, including ragweed.
How important wording is
By and large, most people think that a plant protection product is made from an active substance and a solvent, which are mixed well and then sent to the market in tubes. But this is not the case, Todor Evtimov, Marketing and Technical Manager at BASF, rejected the elementary notion.
Too complicated a technological process is mixing these products in the composition of one pesticide. Sometimes it is more complicated than the creation of a single active substance and is therefore subject to a patent. The creators of the finished products take into account the physico-chemical properties of the active substance, namely its biological activity, stability, boiling point, freezing point, the option of miscibility with other chemical components, either active substances or some co-formulants. The product must also be resistant to climatic conditions, have quality coatings on the target surfaces. Adjuvants, enhancers, tackifiers, antifoams, even colorants are added to it for seed treatment products.
Formulations are so important that they really make the difference in crop protection products.
Example: the active substance Revizol. It is a crystalline active substance that is not soluble in water. It’s perfect, but what if it can’t be applied? However, BASF has managed to find the right solvent, thanks to which farmers can benefit from the full potential of Revizol.
Additional co-formulants to Revizol have made it resistant to rain washing. The active substance gets under the wax coating and works, despite the rain.
Strong solar radiation in recent years leads to degradation of the active ingredients. It is therefore important that the products used by farmers are stable in intense sunlight. Such a product is Revicare based on Revizol, pointed out Todor Evtimov.
Caryx is a fungicide and growth regulator in canola. Its formulation makes it unique. The co-formulations within it allow the working solution to overcome the surface tension of the canola wax layer. So one drop makes a much larger perimeter of coverage and protection – something that standard formulations cannot. Thanks to its formulation, Carix does not spill into the soil, does not pollute the water, does not change the ecosystem.
Climate adaptation solutions
Climate change creates uncertainty for farmers. Weather forecasts – both short-term and long-term – are already unreliable. For the last 20 years the average annual temperature has risen by 1.6 degrees, he said during the meeting Bozhidar Bonev, product manager Oilseed crops.
Warming reduces soil moisture and shortens the growing season of stressed crops. Cereal sowing has now shifted from late September to late October.
Although in 2023 precipitation in Bulgaria has decreased by only 4%, the problem is in their distribution within a year. From January to December, we only have four months of above-normal rainfall. In all other months they are less.
Diseases in autumn crops start their development already in autumn and, because of the warm winter, do not stop until harvest.
Farmers are forced to make decisions about what to change in the technologies they apply to retain moisture. Some rely on cover crops, others switch to minimal tillage. Fertilization is also transformed, according to the climate, both as terms and as a way of nutrition – through the roots and through the leaves.
Thinking about how to optimize their results, farmers begin to reduce the sowing rates per area, because when we have fewer plants, it is normal that they can develop a greater part of their potential, explained Bonev.
As an example, he gave this year in which, during the sowing of sunflower, a large number of farmers decided to reduce the number of plants per hectare by 7 percent.
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In light of climate change impacts on agriculture, what innovative farming practices and technologies hold the greatest potential for ensuring food security while minimizing environmental impact?
## Discussion Questions Inspired by the Article:
This article touches upon several key topics relevant to modern agriculture and its challenges. Here are some open-ended questions, categorized by theme, to encourage thoughtful discussion and diverse perspectives.
**I. The Complexity of Pesticide Formulation**
* **Beyond the Active Ingredient:** What are some of the surprising complexities involved in formulating a pesticide? How can these complexities impact a product’s effectiveness and safety?
* **Formulating for Resilience:** The article highlights the importance of formulations that withstand environmental challenges like rain and sunlight. What other environmental factors might influence pesticide effectiveness, and how can formulations be tailored to address them?
* **Innovation in Formulation:** The article mentions BASF’s achievements in formulating products like Revizol and Caryx. What are some potential future directions for innovation in pesticide formulation?
**II. Adapting to Climate Change**
* **Farmer Adaptation Strategies:** The article describes some strategies farmers are using to cope with climate change, such as cover crops and modified fertilization. What other adaptive measures can farmers consider, and what challenges might they face in implementing them?
* **The Role of Technology:** How can technology, such as precision agriculture and climate modeling, help farmers adapt their practices to a changing climate?
* **Policy and Support:** What role can government policies and support programs play in facilitating farmer adaptation to climate change?
* **Sustainable Solutions:** What are some sustainable solutions for mitigating the impact of climate change on agriculture?
**III. The Future of Agriculture**
* **Balancing Productivity and Sustainability:** How can we ensure that agricultural practices remain productive while also protecting the environment and natural resources for future generations?
* **The Role of Young Farmers:** What role can young farmers play in shaping the future of agriculture? What challenges and opportunities do they face?
* **Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing:** How can different stakeholders in the agricultural sector – farmers, researchers, policymakers, and the general public – work together to address the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture?
These are just starting points – feel free to expand upon these questions and tailor them to the specific interests and concerns of your audience.
