BASF Agricultural Solutions announces to the Brazilian market the commercial brand Nemasphere for the first soybean seed biotechnology aimed at controlling root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus brachyurus) and cyst nematodes (Heterodera glycines). It is the only biotechnology solution in the sector focused on managing these important soil pests. The company expects to carry out the commercial launch of seeds with this biotechnology in Brazil from 2028, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.
Innovation against billion-dollar losses
Nematodes are among the biggest challenges in Brazilian agriculture. According to data from the Brazilian Society of Nematology, these microscopic pests cause annual losses of R$35 billion to the country's agribusiness, of which R$16 billion occur in soybean cultivation.
With a completely new mode of action developed to act "from the inside out" of the plant, the technology attacks the problem directly at the root, combating the two main species threatening crops: the root-lesion nematode and the soybean cyst nematode.
Field trials conducted in Brazil with the new biotechnology demonstrated high control of the root-lesion nematode, in addition to offering partial control of the cyst nematode. BASF's biotechnology also confers tolerance to isoxaflutole, a new active ingredient that may be used to control the main weeds in soybean cultivation. These results contribute to protecting soybean productivity and improving the productive potential of the area over time.
Soil health and vision for the future
In addition to the direct productivity gain in soybeans, Nemasphere® technology drastically reduces the nematode population in the cultivated area, becoming the first biotechnology for the farmer's production system.
"Nemasphere is a milestone for Brazilian tropical agriculture. The biotechnology developed by BASF, in addition to the major benefits for soybean cultivation, also offers significant protection to crops in rotation with the oilseed. Trials show that there can be a substantial increase in the productivity of cotton or corn grown after soybeans," highlights Ademar De Geroni Junior, Vice President of Marketing at BASF Agricultural Solutions in Brazil.
For the company, Brazil and the United States are the main markets that will have this innovation. The future launch is the result of continuous investment in research, with an annual contribution of approximately 1 billion euros for the development of new technologies for agricultural production.
"Seed and biotechnology solutions are a strategic pillar of our business. We are committed to supporting increasingly productive and sustainable agriculture, contributing to more resilient cropping systems in the future," says Marcelo Batistela, Senior Vice President of Business at BASF Agricultural Solutions in Brazil.
