In the constant battle between the farmer and crop insect pests, the search for effective and environmentally friendly insecticides resulted in the discovery of pyrethrins. Pyrethrins have become ubiquitous in pest control as they offer a safer alternative to synthetic chemicals, which are associated with harmful, long-term effects to the environment and non-target organisms.

What are Natural Pyrethrins?
Natural pyrethrins are a group of compounds isolated from the white pyrethrum daisy as a mixture of 6 esters: Pyrethrin I and II, Cinerin I and II as well as Jasmolin I and II, with Pyrethrin I and II being the main components. Research has shown that pyrethrins are very effective insecticidal compounds against a broad range of insect pests, while exhibiting low toxicity to mammals due to their rapid metabolism and elimination. Upon contact with pyrethrins, an insects’ nervous system is almost immediately affected, resulting in rapid paralysis and death. Pyrethrins are also highly biodegradable and thus will not persist in the environment, making them the natural choice for a green pesticide.

What is Laflexa and How Does it Work?
Laflexa is an organic contact and stomach insecticide that contains natural pyrethrins in the form of an oil-in-water (O/W) micro-emulsion. The nature of the micro-emulsion enhances the stability and effectivity of the product. Unlike a conventional emulsion, micro-emulsions are characterized by extremely small droplet sizes (10-100 nanometers) which give micro-emulsions their unique properties such as increased stability, improved solubility and the ability to deliver active ingredients more efficiently. The micro-emulsion system is easy to handle and apply, allowing for convenient spraying, while the small droplet sizes ensure uniform coverage with a concomitant reduction in drift, helping to ensure that only the target area is treated.

Due to the incorporation of natural pyrethrins, Laflexa exhibits a broad range of activity with fast acting knock-down capabilities due to contact, as well as the effects of ingestion on the nervous system causing rapid paralysis and death. Thanks to the complexity of the chemical structures for the natural pyrethrins there is also a lower potential for insects to develop resistance, meaning that Laflexa can be used on a more continuous basis, providing a versatile solution as part of an integrated pest management program.

Laflexa^TM: Reg. No. L 8548 Act No. 36 of 1947 • Active Ingredient: Natural Pyrethrin 50 g/L • Laflexa^TM is a Trademark of N Laboratories (PTY) LTD

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When talking about polymerization, the first thought that comes to mind is plastic production or the lid of the Tupperware lunch box lying in the cupboard. In the agricultural industry, the same technology and methods are used to produce the product, but the type of raw materials is different from the plastics and petrochemical industry. The end results of the polymerization process produce a product whose effectiveness and characteristics changes remarkably.

Polymerization

The process of polymerization contains energetic reaction kinetics where the reaction temperatures can reach more than 150^oC. The process also requires specialized equipment to make the coordination chemistry compatible. In the case of MBFi’s poly technology, this device is known as the cross-pipe reactor. The process is explained by the following figure using MBFi’s Poly-K-Phos as an example:

According to Figure 1, two separate streams of raw reagents, phosphoric acid, and potassium hydroxide, are linked together by means of the cross-pipe reactor to form the polymerized product.

In short, the process works like a zipper that inserts each molecule in its right place to form the polymer chain by building a longer phosphorus backbone with the potassium that is bound on the “side branches”. This type of polymer chain looks like this:

What are the advantages of a polymerized product?

1. The product is more stable and less susceptible to environmental factors that can cause the product to volatilise or degrade.
2. The product is more absorbable by the plant because the charges of polymerised products are neutralized and therefore it is not retained by the leaves or stomata.
3. The product is available longer for the plant to absorb and the chance of phytotoxicity is reduced thanks to the slow-release effect of the poly-technology.

Results from the field Figure 4 indicates from the data generated by a trial in the vicinity of Delmas (MP) during the 2017/2018 season to show the value of Poly-K-Phos to our growers on soybeans. The treatments are divided as follows: A is at planting time, B is at V4 stage, C is at V8 stage and D is at R1. The mixture used was N:0, P:1, K:1. From Figure 4 it is confirmed that K and P are important elements in the cultivation of soybeans. Using conventional treatments increases the harvest yield by 229.5 kg/ha. With the use of a K and P foliar feeding, it is seen that there is an increased yield with the application of half the K and P with planting. The highest yield was achieved by applying 100 kg O:1:1 mixture at planting time and applying 20 L/ha Poly-K-Phos with V4 and V8 (40 L/ha in total). The yield increase was 500.8 kg/ha in total.

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In August this year we were fortunate enough to be able to create the opportunity for everyone working at MBFi to get vaccinated at headquarters.

The Department of Health sent out their field team to come out to our offices and we turned our cafeteria into a makeshift “clinic” where the team could set up.

The team talked everyone through the process and answered all their questions and concerns. They were also able to provide the option of Pfizer or J&J to our staff to choose the the vaccine they are comfortable with.

We are very happy to say that more than 85% of our team is now fully vaccinated thanks to our staff utilizing this initiative as well as the awesome team that came out to help us!

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Nitrogen – anything but lifeless

The element nitrogen was called “azote” by the French chemist  Antoine Lavoisie, meaning “without life”. On the contrary, it has been proven that everything with life does contain this element. Crop productivity is significantly affected by the availability of nitrogen to the plant.Nitrogen is an important macronutrient, which plays an important role in the growth and development of plants. All essential processes in the plant are associated with proteins and enzymes, of which nitrogen is a key building block. Nitrogen-like fertilizer production and over-utilization have a large economic and environmental cost due to the energy-intensive production process, the influence on air and water quality, soil and water acidification and climate change. There are significant potential gains to reduce our dependence on nitrogen fertilization in agriculture.

Biological nitrogen fixation – environmentally friendly solution to address nitrogen deficiencies and increase crop production

Emphasis is placed on environmentally sustainable agriculture, which draws attention to the use of renewable resources and therefore nitrogen obtained from a process called biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). BNF is the only natural process that converts atmospheric nitrogen into a biologically useful form. The ability of legumes to fix atmospheric nitrogen comes from the symbiotic (meaning “living together”) relationship that it forms with specialized soil-borne bacteria, called rhizobia. This symbiotic interaction is very host specific in that each rhizobium strain can only associate with a limited number of host plant species.This process requires the production of specific communication signaling molecules by both the bacteria and the plant and culminates in the formation of a highly specialized plant root structure called a root nodule.

This nodule creates a habitat for the nitrogen-fixing bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia and in return the plant provides the bacteria with carbohydrates and protection. Under favorable conditions and limited soil nitrogen, this interaction can lead to hundreds of nodules on the root system, which provide the host legume with enough nitrogen to complete the life cycle.To ensure good nitrogen fixation, it is necessary to inoculate the legume with the correct bacterial strain before planting the seeds. However, rhizobium inoculants face several obstacles that can drastically affect their effectiveness. 

Factors affecting the effectiveness of rhizobium inoculants.

Rhizobium survival on seed is affected by dehydration, toxic seed coat factors, poor adhesion, and high seed storage temperatures. Once incorporated into the soil, conditions such as soil pH, temperature and salinity greatly affect the survival of rhizobium.To reach the full potential of bacterial inoculants, the product must 1) contain the correct rhizobium strain, 2) be free from unwanted microbial contamination, 3) have a long shelf life, 4) have a high concentration contain bacteria, 5) be appropriately packaged and stored and 6) have the ability to survive under adverse conditions.

Biotechnologically advanced range of inoculants – reliable results in a changing environment

MBFi has developed a range of bacterial inoculants that give the farmer flexibility and peace of mind when planting under different environmental conditions. Various technologies have been incorporated into this product range, providing the producer with robust products that deliver a high concentration of viable bacteria to each seed and ensure maximum efficiency.These technologies prevent the bacteria from being affected by adverse environmental conditions to provide excellent performance for the farmer. These technologies include: 

• OSMO protection technology: The inclusion of OSMO preservatives enables the bacteria to survive longer on the seed surface and leads to better adaptation in different agricultural environments once incorporated into the soil. This is due to the higher tolerance of the cells to adverse conditions such as water and chemical stress, that the bacteria survive better. A higher survival rate ensures maximum nitrogen fixation, which improves crop yield and seed protein content
• Signal generation technology: This technology allows for increased generation of molecular communication signals between the bacteria and legumes, which leads to a rapid start of communication between rhizobia and the legume.  This means less time to form nodules as well as less time spent in the harsh soil environment. Biological nitrogen fixation is not only facilitated, but the resistance of plants to diseases is improved, the tolerance of the crop to stressful conditions is increased and seed germination and plant development is stimulated.
• Microbial membrane protection technology (MMP): Professional seed inoculation by commercial seed coaters offers producers a convenient and useful product. However, the biggest problem facing the seed coating industry is the poor survival of the inoculant on the seed. With MMP technology, seeds can be treated up to 60 days before sowing, even when used in combination with traditional chemical fungicides and insecticides. This technology enables the seed industry to reassure the producer to sow high quality seed.
• O2 packaging: All MBFi inoculants are placed in O2 packaging to ensure that the rhizobia metabolically remain active during the storage period of the product. Waste gases such as carbon dioxide can be released from the packaging and oxygen needed for respiratory purposes can enter the packaging and be used by the active rhizobia for metabolic activities.All these separate technological advances play a major role in protecting the rhizobia during packaging, storage and survival leading to improved nodulation and ultimately increased efficiency and yields for the farmer.

All these separate technological advances play a major role in protecting the rhizobia during packaging, storage and survival leading to improved nodulation and ultimately increased efficiency and yields for the farmer.

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