José Ángel Talavera, commercial manager of Seipasa, analyses the keys to the biofungicide that Seipasa has just launched on the Portuguese market after obtaining phytosanitary registration.
1. Define Fungisei biofungicide in a single word.
Innovation. If I may add one more thing, I would speak of a new solution that marks a turning point in its segment.
2. Why is that?
Because Fungisei is the solution that many farmers have been waiting for in the fight against high impact diseases. This is due to its efficacy and its exclusive and patented formulation, which combines three distinguishing elements: the low-risk phytosanitary nature of the active ingredient, the biocide-free formulation, and its presentation as a liquid suspension.
3. What are the keys to the product’s mode of action?
Fungisei is a microbiological fungicide developed from a Bacillus subtilis strain of high efficacy and purity, the formulation of which is patented by Seipasa. The key to the product’s mode of action lies in its exclusive liquid formulation, free of chemical preservatives, which protects the microbial stability of the active ingredient, guarantees its conservation capacity and provides maximum efficacy in the field against target diseases.
Fungisei represents a further step in our R&D process based on microorganisms applied to agriculture. In recent years we have acquired in-depth knowledge and experience in the uses and applications of Bacillus subtilis, which are now reflected in Fungisei.
4. You define it as the “biofungicide of the new generation of farmers”. Why is that?
Because there is a new generation of professionals out there who are demanding new solutions to transform agriculture, to fight against the most harmful diseases and to do so in a way that is aligned and respectful of the planet’s environmental needs. Our obligation as a company is to put new alternatives and solutions in their hands, and Fungisei fully fulfils our purpose in that regard.
Agriculture is constantly being challenged and the process of change we are going through will speed up even more in the immediate future. The rules of eight or 10 years ago no longer work because the climate emergency, the demands of the regulatory framework and the measures of the European Green Deal are urging us to change course and do things differently.
Fungisei is a solution fully in line with the new international regulatory framework and with consumers’ need for healthy food free of chemical residues. Fungisei is classified as Low Risk by the European Commission, which certifies its low impact in all facets of its use and application. It is worth remembering that, to date, only 10% of the active substances approved within the European Union fall within this classification, and Fungisei is one of them.
5. Which crops are targeted?
The phytosanitary registration in Portugal includes a wide variety of crops such as vegetables, fruit trees, grapes and nuts, among others, for the control of high impact diseases such as botrytis, downy mildew or powdery mildew.
Fungisei’s label is truly rich, not only because of the broad spectrum of crops and diseases it covers, but also because of the experience the product has accumulated in the most demanding agricultural systems on the planet. In addition to Portugal, the product has phytosanitary registration in the United States, Mexico, Peru, Morocco, Ivory Coast, France and Turkey. All the experience, knowledge and results obtained by Fungisei in all these countries only enrich, improve and perfect the tool that we are now placing in the hands of Portuguese farmers.
6. What is your roadmap for the Portuguese market?
The phytosanitary registration in Portugal is very recent and we are currently in the launch phase. Last October we visited most of the fruit, vegetable and grape producing regions of the country to present the product through technical seminars. The response from farmers, technical advisors, production managers and specialists has been excellent. The introduction of the product in the Portuguese market will continue over the next few months. We want to bring Fungisei to every corner and farm in the country to provide them with a distinguishing solution in the fight against the diseases that damage their crops each year.