Nanotech Fungicide Advances Agricultural Technology Through Crop Sticking Power

Vive Crop Protection’s new Phobos FC 360 utilizes water-based polymers and nanotechnology to ensure fungicides stick to crops and resist rain wash-off.

Vive Crop Protection in Canada recently announced Phobos FC 360 – a Group 3 prothioconazole-based fungicide that is certified for use in canola, spring and winter wheat, barley, and a range of pulses and specialty crops. As an advancement in agricultural nanotechnology, they can cling to leaves better and not be washed off in the rain owing to tiny, water-based polymers that coat the chemical molecule. This, in turn, makes the chemical very stable and tank-mixable. The technology behind this fungicide is termed “Allosperse Delivery Technology.”

Furthermore, Vive’s polymer technology allows the fungicide to stick to the plant a lot better compared to conventional spray concentration in a tank that is sprayed across the field. Significantly, this is not the first time Vive has explored the nascent field of nanotechnology, with Azteroid FC fungicide and seven other products registered in the US carrying the same Allosperse tech. The product’s appeal is further enhanced by Phobos’s use of prothioconazole as its active ingredient since it is already in widespread use in Canadian agriculture.

However, there is certain skepticism regarding farmers’ willingness to welcome a drastically science fiction-esque concept such as nanotechnology into their growing programs. Wade Clarke, national development manager for Vive Crop Protection in Canada, dismisses this as a major cause for concern. According to him, “I think they’re (farmers) excited with the opportunity to have a new technology come to the market. Anything that will make their traditional operations more effective, they’re definitely interested in hearing about (and) definitely interested in trying it.” After Vive’s trials in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario demonstrated the fungicide’s efficacy, CIO Bulletin began to view it as a significant player in the market with the potential to aid farmers’ efforts in protecting their crops against disease.