As one of the leaders in the drive to transform agriculture in Africa for the greater good, Philagro’s philosophy is modestly simple but extremely effective. Henk van der Westhuizen, the company’s Managing Director, says Philagro’s vision is to add real value to agriculture in Africa by supplying quality agricultural products and providing exceptional service, hence the slogan: Products that work from people who care.
Despite the challenges faced today, prospects for Africa’s agricultural sector are remarkably positive. According to the “Agriculture Outlook 2018-27” report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the sector will undergo robust growth, with crop production in sub-Saharan Africa projected to rise 30% over the next decade. Moreover, greater access to innovative technologies are expected to support the development and application of smart farming techniques.
A fine example of this technology is Philagro’s comprehensive range of proven products that are now available to meet the needs of farmers throughout the Southern Africa region. Commercial and smallholder farmers now have access to total crop solutions with state-of-the-art herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, nematicides, miticides, plant growth regulators and animal feeds. Most of the products distributed by Philagro are very well known in the agricultural world and have earned admiration and respect in the tough world of agricultural remedies.
Philagro has acquired a wide range of registrations against many of the most stubborn pests on important vegetable crops, like the modern active ingredient pyridalyl in SumiPleo®. This product has some outstanding beneficial features that distinguish it from old-fashioned hard chemicals prone to pest resistance.
SumiPleo® is a blue band product and is relatively safe with regard to mammals and birds, and highly specific to the control of certain insect pests such a lepidoptera or potato tuber moth larvae, diamondback moth larvae, African bollworm larvae, tomato leaf miner and fall armyworm larvae.
It is relatively safe against insect pest enemies such as parasitic and predatory wasps, as well as other beneficial organisms such as earthworms and bees.
In potatoes, SumiPleo® controls potato moth, Tuta absoluta, and also suppresses flying leaf miners Lyriomyza trifolii and L. huidobrensis. In tomatoes, SumiPleo® controls African bollworm, tuta absoluta, and suppresses flying leaf miners Lyriomyza trifolii and L. huidobrensis, as well as tomato semi-looper (Chrysodeixes acuta).
In various cabbage crops SumiPleo® as well as FlorBac® effectively control diamondback moth larvae. In lettuce, African bollworm is kept in check with Sumipleo®. In sweetcorn, SumiPleo® controls the dreaded fall army worm (Spodoptera frugiperda).
For a more effective environmental approach and intelligent resistance management, SumiPleo® is alternated with Philagro’s organic Bacillus (Bt) products like DiPel®DF on Lepidoptera larvae in most vegetable crops and FlorBac®WG in cabbage crops – specifically against diamondback moth larvae.
SumiPleo® and Bt products boast relatively short withholding periods in vegetable crops, which make them ideal for positioning in a control window shortly before harvesting.
Ultra-reliable Sumimax® is renowned for its ability to control annual broadleaf weeds in groundnuts, soya beans, deciduous fruit, citrus, vines, and forestry, and is one of an impressive array of trusted herbicides from Philagro.
Sumi-Alpha 200 EW® contains the highly active synthetic pyrethroid esfenvalerate, which is a contact insecticide for the control of cutworms on all crops, bollworm on cotton, sunflower, maize, and sorghum, and also stalk borer in maize.
Another well-known example of Philagro’s comprehensive range is Sumisclex®, a translaminar systemic organic fungicide for the control of diseases on green beans, soya beans, dry beans, peas, and onions.
For more information about Philagro products in your area or to find your nearest agent, contact Bennie Buys at telephone (+27)82-809-5447 or e-mail him at bennie.buys@philagro.co.za. Visit Philagro’s website on www.philagro.co.za
SumiPleo® (Reg.no. L8377, Act 36 / 1947) contains, Pyridalyl dichloropropene-derivative, Caution. (Sumitomo Chemical Company, Japan).
DiPel®DF (Reg.no. L6441, Act 36 / 1947) contains Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki. Caution. (Valent Biosciences, USA).
FlorBac®WG (Reg.no. L5531, Act 36 / 1947) contains Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai. Caution. (Valent Biosciences, USA).
Sumimax® WP (Reg no. L6358 Act 36 / 1947) contains Flumioxazin (Nphenylimide). Caution. (Sumitomo Chemical Company, Japan).
Sumi-Alpha® 200 EW (Reg no. L8821, Act 36 / 1947) contains Esfenvalerate. Harmful. (Sumitomo Chemical Company, Japan).
Sumisclex® SC (Reg no. L6377 Act 36 / 1947) contains Procymidone (dicarboximide). (Sumitomo Chemical Company, Japan).
