New bioinsecticide shows efficacy of over 85% in controlling fall armyworm

• The product will be sold in a new biofactory, to be inaugurated on April 3, 2025, in Sorriso, MT.

• Virumix was developed from an entomopathogenic virus, which means it is specific to combat the target insect.

• This specificity guarantees environmental and financial advantages, making the new bioinsecticide accessible to farmers of all sizes.

• It also offers safety to rural workers, and is recommended for use in organic production systems.

• Virumix is the result of a public-private partnership between Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, IMAmt, and Comdeagro.

The new biological insecticide Virumix demonstrated an efficacy of over 85% in controlling fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in field tests conducted in municipalities within the state of Mato Grosso. This is one of the most severe agricultural pests in Brazil, as it affects around 200 different crops of socioeconomic importance, including corn, cotton, soybeans, and rice, among others. In addition to being indicated for all crops affected by this pest, the product enhances sustainability by utilizing an entomopathogenic virus (specific to the insect and harmless to plants, animals, and humans) called Spodoptera multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV).

The result of a public-private partnership between Embrapa Milho e Sorgo (Embrapa Unit, Sete Lagoas, MG), the Mato Grosso Cotton Institute (IMAmt), and the Mixed Agribusiness Development Cooperative (Comdeagro), Virumix is the first microbiological product in the IMAmt line. It was developed from isolate 6 of the Baculovirus spodoptera identified by Embrapa Milho e Sorgo.

Launch and inauguration of the biofactory

The launch of Virumix will take place on April 3, 2025, at 10 am, at Comdeagro, Unidade Sorriso, MT. The address is BR-163, Km 712, Unidade 7, Zona Rural.

The biofactory responsible for manufacturing the product on a large scale for the market will also be inaugurated on that occasion (see more details in the box in this article).

″The increase in the incidence of Spodoptera frugiperda, even in areas cultivated with plants containing biotechnology, impacts production costs, due to the need for numerous applications of agrochemicals. This led us to seek viable solutions to control the pest,″ said Álvaro Salles, Executive Director of IMAmt and Comdeagro.

According to him, the fact that it is developed based on an entomopathogenic virus brings environmental benefits, as it is a highly specific product that preserves all natural enemies (insects), which are necessary for maintaining crop balance. It is a selective bioinsecticide that can be used together with other products in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), such as insecticides and fungicides,″ Salles said. This specificity also ensures safety for rural workers, making it recommended for use in organic production systems.

Salles also emphasized that Virumix can be used by producers of all sizes, from family farms to companies. ″In addition, its wettable powder formulation makes it easier to store and preserve the product,″ he added.

Biological control with baculovirus

Embrapa researcher Fernando Hercos Valicente, who led the development of Virumix, emphasizes that the effectiveness of baculovirus in controlling fall armyworm is closely related to the ideal timing of its application in the crop.

″The process must consider some important factors, the first of which is that the crop must be monitored weekly to detect the level of attack by the fall armyworm from the initial stages of plant development. Control will be better when the caterpillars are less than 1.0 cm long. In addition, the application time should be during periods when the temperature is lower, early in the morning or after 4 pm,″ Valicente recommended. 

He explained that it was crucial not to miss the first application, as this would prevent overlapping larval stages of this pest in the crop. In certain regions, the attack by the caterpillar, in corn crops, for example, begins one week after the seeds germinate.

″Therefore, it is important for the producer to be aware of the first signs of the presence of this pest. The baculovirus should be sprayed using an adhesive spreader to ensure uniform application and reach the target,″ the researcher advised.

New biofactory will commercialize Virumix

Entomologist Jacob Crosariol Netto, from IMAmt, was responsible for conducting part of the tests with Virumix during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 harvests in Primavera do Leste, Campo Verde, and Rondonópolis.

″It is a very safe product against Spodoptera frugiperda. In our tests – most of which were with cotton and corn – we found high performance and stability when applied correctly, even when compared to other products with similar characteristics,″ Netto noted.

Virumix will be produced in a new biofactory in Sorriso, MT. Initially, the product will be distributed by Comdeagro, and subsequently, it will be made available for sale through retailers and other channels. ″The packaging, at launch, will contain two kilos of the product. However, other smaller sizes are already being developed to meet the needs of farmers who require them for this purpose. Since the recommended dosage is 50 grams/hectare, each package should be used on 40 hectares,″ Salles explained.

Global and national production of bioinputs

The global market for agricultural bioinputs already exceeds US$10 billion, encompassing biological products for pest and disease control, inoculants, biostimulants, and solubilizers. CropLife Brasil estimates that the annual global growth rate until 2032 will be approximately 14%, a value three times higher than the current one, with biological control products representing more than 50% of this market.

According to Sara Rios, the deputy head of Technology Transfer at Embrapa Corn and Sorghum, in Brazil, the adoption of biological products is also growing exponentially. Embrapa, since its inception, has been a pioneer in converting knowledge of Brazilian biodiversity and microorganisms into differentiated bioproducts for Brazil's and the world's production systems, thereby enhancing the resilience and sustainability of agriculture and farmers in our country. ″Embrapa is a national and international reference in high-impact applied science and continually promotes open innovation, increasing technological capabilities in the service of national sustainable agriculture,″ she emphasized.

Also, according to CropLife Brasil, the National Bioinputs Program, as well as the Strategic Council of the National Bioinputs Program, were established by Decree No. 10,375, of May 26, 2020. The objective of the aforementioned program is, above all, to reduce dependence on imported inputs and to leverage, in a sustainable manner, the potential of our biodiversity.

Brazil is a leader among the world's producers of agricultural bioinputs, and these products are crucial for Integrated Pest Management. Embrapa develops and promotes research and technology transfer, generating knowledge from Brazilian science that contributes to adapting good agricultural practices, fostering competitiveness, and ensuring food and nutritional security. Embrapa will highlight these technologies during the Climate Journey events at Cop 30.

IMAmt, Comdeagro and Embrapa Partnership

Virumix is part of Embrapa Corn and Sorghum's portfolio for controlling challenging lepidopteran pests, such as the fall armyworm. ″The development and commercial launch of this new technological product, now on a TRL 8 scale (complete, tested, qualified and demonstrated system), proves the relevance of open innovation for tropical agriculture based on high-impact technologies for Brazil and the world, co-developed jointly with partner companies,″  Rios said.

Álvaro Salles explained that the partnership between IMAmt and Embrapa Corn and Sorghum has been in place for over ten years. ″IMAmt and Comdeagro are companies created by cotton producers associated with the Cotton Producers Association of Mato Grosso (Ampa). IMAmt is responsible for research and development of new technologies and assistance to producers, and Comdeagro is the commercial arm of the Institute, responsible for marketing the products developed,″ he added.

According to Salles, Ampa created IMAmt to develop solutions of interest to cotton producers in Mato Grosso, and bioinputs have always been the target of the Institute’s research. Since then, an extensive program of bioprospecting of microorganisms has been initiated in the biomes of Mato Grosso and the Brazilian semiarid region. Virumix is one of the results of these actions.