Efficiency Gains in Agricultural Applications

The global human population currently stands at 7.8 billion and is expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030. This figure was 450 million in 1500 and 1.6 billion at the start of the 1900s. The rapid pace of this increase has created risks across many sectors and drawn attention to these concerns. The food sector and, by extension, agriculture lead these areas. Contrary to population growth, agricultural land and water resources worldwide are declining, while climate changes intensify their negative effects. Consequently, an equation must be developed to feed more people with fewer resources. With the addition of the Covid-19 crisis that entered our lives at the start of this year, vulnerabilities in the sector's production and supply chains have become more pronounced, and efforts toward solutions have increased.

Currently Prominent Solution Areas:

• Digitalization: Many companies have developed applications to assist farmers in identifying weeds in their fields and addressing climate issues. Additionally, developing bio and nano sensors will enable farmers to monitor soil and plants in real time. • Machinery Systems: Machines have played important roles in agriculture as in all sectors. Newly developed robotic applications, irrigation systems and the deployment of drones continue to maintain their significance. • Chemicals: Under this heading we can include conventional, nano pesticide and fertilizer technologies, microbiological formulations, biostimulants and adjuvants. This is the heading we will focus on in this article.

Chemical Use in Agriculture

Chemical use in agriculture accelerated from the early 20th century in line with scientific developments and has become an indispensable component of agriculture. Agricultural products compete globally against over thirty thousand herbicides and over ten thousand insecticides. This competition drives production capacity downward. Losses are reduced through pesticides and other supporting tools. Despite all these positive effects, chemical use is being restricted and strict regulations are being applied. Many people are aware of pesticide residues and do not want these chemicals to enter their kitchens directly or indirectly. Excessive and indiscriminate pesticide use also damages the environment and increases the tolerance of targeted species to these pesticides. The agrochemical industry has so far discovered simple molecules, and is currently working on more complex active substances. Because this process takes longer, damage caused by tolerant species is increasing. The fastest solution is being pursued by experimenting with combinations of different actives and formulation types. The fertilizer sector has recorded many new developments and remains one of the farmer's most important aids. According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) data, in 2003, 105 million tonnes of nitrogen-based, 20 million tonnes of phosphorus-based and 23 million tonnes of calcium-based fertilizers were used. Not all of the large quantities of fertilizer used are taken up by plants. Research shows that average uptake rates remain at 50% for nitrogen, 10% for phosphorus and 40% for potassium. Through evaporation, leaching and conversion by soil into forms that plants cannot absorb, these inputs that mix with water and soil lead to environmental and economic losses. To determine these losses, the concept of Fertilizer Use Efficiency was developed, and based on this, losses are measured mathematically. The relatively low cost of fertilizers, the belief that more application will increase productivity, and indiscriminate use result in our facing damage alongside benefits.

Adjuvants

As mentioned above, while chemical use is necessary and beneficial up to a point, beyond that point it presents an important problem from a sustainability perspective. Products in the adjuvant category, whose usefulness is becoming increasingly evident in overcoming or at least minimizing these problems, have started to come to the fore. Adjuvants are supporting chemicals that improve the overall performance of a product by enhancing the effectiveness of the active substance. As can be understood from this definition, adjuvants themselves are not taken up by plants as nutrients and do not directly affect pests like an agrochemical. A summary of the action points and benefits of these products is provided in Figure 1. Starting from this general definition, we can examine adjuvants according to their type of use and mechanisms of action. [caption id="attachment_116327" align="aligncenter"] Figure 1. Action points and benefits of adjuvants[/caption]

By Type of Use

Adjuvants can be used by formulators within the product and presented to farmers. These types of applications are referred to as 'in-can'. Products formulated this way provide a more effective solution in the field compared to their counterparts. Glyphosate, widely used globally in combating weeds, is a systemic herbicide. As shown in Figure 2, glyphosate formulated with adjuvants provides effective control. [caption id="attachment_116328" align="aligncenter"] Figure 2. Contribution of adjuvant use to glyphosate effectiveness[/caption]   Adjuvants can be added directly by manufacturers to their formulations or can also be provided externally to farmers. In this case, farmers can achieve results by mixing recommended active and adjuvant combinations during application. Both application types vary from country to country and according to manufacturers' market positioning. Product formulation allows companies to differentiate their products. In external use, farmers have the opportunity to select proven products with higher efficiency. In both cases, the biological effectiveness of actives is enhanced.

By Mechanisms of Action

Adjuvants are inputs that provide benefits indirectly. Their use increases costs. However, when evaluated from a cost-benefit perspective, they provide positive added value to both farmers and nature. Value derives from testing the effectiveness of adjuvants used and recommending the right product for the right application. Many products of this nature are circulating in the market. However, due to errors at application points and persons attempting to conduct this work without awareness, in some cases its value is not understood. As Croda, we have been conducting our work in agriculture for over fifty years and stand alongside our customers with our accumulated knowledge. While the fields of farmers are the areas where we can best observe the effects of adjuvants, when developing new products we pay attention to certain points and present our products for use in light of these. As mentioned above, adjuvants affect performance throughout the application. This effect encompasses the entire process from nozzle exit through reaching the target site and showing its effect there. A general summary of these mechanisms can be seen in Figure 3. Figure 3. Parameters considered in adjuvant selection                 The mechanisms of action of pesticides and fertilizers are not yet fully understood. Research on this subject is still ongoing. Above we shared a brief section of these studies. Data from field trial results prove that increased productivity is achieved through adjuvant use. From a sustainability perspective, in terms of reducing chemical use, and in terms of reducing farmers' costs while obtaining more efficient results, adjuvants paint a positive picture. Research shows that only about 0.1% of applied pesticides reach their intended target. This information tells us we have much ground to cover. The biggest problem here is insufficient awareness of the subject and inadequate regulations. To make more effective use of these products, responsibilities fall to each stakeholder in the sector. First, farmers must be made aware of this issue, manufacturers and formulators must work more closely and research the most effective solutions, and finally, relatively stricter regulations must be applied on this matter. In this issue we only had the opportunity to focus on adjuvants. However, developments in agriculture are accelerating as much as in other sectors. In another article, we can focus on sensors, nanotechnology, biostimulants and microbiological formulations and examine where the sector is evolving. Hasan Onur Erdem Sales Representative Life Sciences Agricultural Chemicals Croda Turkey