Kaiso Max: Empowering Brazilian Sugarcane Production with Innovative Pest Control

Sumitomo Chemical recently unveiled its latest insecticide, Kaiso Max, in Brazil, as disclosed to AgroPages. With its active ingredients, imidacloprid and chlorfenapyr, this insecticide offers a dual-mode of action and serves as an excellent tool for managing insecticide resistance. Specifically designed to safeguard the productivity of sugarcane fields, Kaiso Max presents a potent and innovative residual effect, enhancing the efficacy of pest control. This unique blend marks the first product to combine imidacloprid with chlorfenapyr, promising enhanced pest management solutions for the Brazilian sugarcane industry.

Combating the Devastating Sugarcane Froghopper:
Kaiso Max aims to combat the primary pest affecting Brazilian sugarcane, the sugarcane froghopper. This destructive insect is responsible for significant reductions in sugarcane yields. The froghopper nymphs extract substantial amounts of root moisture and nutrients, leading to severe damage. Additionally, adult froghoppers feed on leaf sap and inject toxic saliva into the plant, causing necrosis in leaves and root tissues. These detrimental effects result in decreased industrial sugarcane production, process contamination, reduced fermentation yields, a 1.5% decrease in sucrose content, challenges in sugar extraction, prolonged withering of sugarcane fields, and yield losses ranging from 34 to 78 tons per hectare.

Addressing the Need for Effective Pest Control:
According to the National Supply Company (Conab) estimates, the Brazilian sugarcane production for the 2023/2024 season is expected to surpass 670 million tons, representing an almost 11% increase from the previous season. Hence, the adoption of an efficient and long-lasting solution like Kaiso Max helps mitigate the impact of sugarcane froghoppers on crop yields.

Advantages of Kaiso Max:
Kaiso Max offers several advantages, including increased productivity per hectare, favorable cost-benefit ratio, suppression of pests in the first crop when applied in furrows, compatibility with entomopathogenic fungi used in biological control, and protection throughout the crop cycle. The solution is applied in a 70/30 formulation on sugarcane fields and soil.

Implementation and Future Prospects:
Kaiso Max is scheduled for application in the upcoming harvesting season starting in March 2024. Its introduction brings new hope to Brazilian sugarcane farmers, providing them with an effective tool to combat the sugarcane froghopper and improve overall crop productivity.

The introduction of Kaiso Max by Sumitomo Chemical represents a significant milestone in the Brazilian sugarcane industry. This innovative insecticide, featuring a powerful dual-mode of action and long-lasting residual effect, offers a promising solution to manage the devastating impact of the sugarcane froghopper. By enhancing pest control efficacy, Kaiso Max contributes to the sustainable and profitable production of sugarcane, ensuring the stability of Brazil's sugarcane sector and supporting the country's role as a global leader in sugarcane production.