RELEASED ON 14/02/13 (DD/MM/YY)
Mauvaise nouvelle pour les insectes nuisibles, bonne nouvelle pour les humains. Des chercheurs du Laboratoire de Toxicologie de la KU Leuven ont découvert que le poison d'une anémone de mer était un insecticide plus puissant que le DDT et non-polluant. En plus, cette substance va peut-être permettre de développer une nouvelle génération d'antidouleurs. "Plus on en découvre sur ce type de poisons, plus on se rend compte qu'ils sont des alliés de l'homme et non pas des ennemis." "Nous avons été surpris : pourquoi une anémone de mer dispose-t-elle d'une arme puissante contre les insectes ? Les deux ne se rencontrent pratiquement jamais, cela semble totalement superflu d'un point de vue évolutif", explique Jan Tytgat.
Précisons que les anémones de mer ne sont pas des plantes mais des animaux apparentés aux méduses. Pour se défendre et pour capturer des proies, l'anémone de mer est équipée de nématocystes, une sorte de dispositif de harpon équipé de flèches empoisonnées. Quand elle est touchée, l'anémone tire des petits harpons remplis de poison et tue ainsi ses ennemis. Le professeur Jan Tytgat, directeur du Laboratoire de Toxicologie, explique : "Ce poison est un cocktail de différentes toxines, des protéines porteuses de poison qui ont différentes utilités. Par exemple, une de ces toxines paralyse le système nerveux en attaquant les canaux sodiques qui le régulent. D'autres visent le muscle cardiaque ou les muscles du squelette."
[...]
South Korea’s Yeochun NCC (YNCC) may shut down its 240,000 tonne/year butadiene (BD) extraction unit soon because of a contamination or fouling problem, a company source said on Friday.
“We may bring forward the turnaround schedule, but the date is not confirmed yet,” the source said.
The BD unit at YNCC’s 850,000 tonne/year cracker in Yeosu was originally scheduled to shut in May for maintenance.
BD is usually made via an extraction and purification process from crude C4 stream, but polymerisation has started to take place at the YNCC unit, requiring that it be shut and overhauled, the source said.
The unit developed the problem on 8 February and has been running at a reduced rate of 80-90% of capacity since then, the source said.
YNCC has three crackers with total capacity of 1.9 m ethylene/year, but only its No 1 cracker has a BD extraction unit.
SOURCE ICIS News - For internal use only
RELATED STORIES
Butadiene unit of YNCC to shut operations in Q2, 2013
RELEASED ON 14/02/13 (DD/MM/YY)
German chemicals group BASF SE (ETR:BAS) said today its Initium fungicide for specialty crops was approved for use in crop protection products in the European Union (EU).
The official approval follows initial launches of Initium in select countries in Europe, North and South America.
Initium is a selective fungicide that provides reliable and flexible control against a range of downy mildews and late blights in grapes, vegetables, potatoes and other specialty crops.
SOURCE SeeNews Germany
This notice, issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announces the agency's order for the cancellations, voluntarily requested by the registrants and accepted by the agency, of pesticide products pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This cancellation order follows a 6 Jul 2012 Federal Register notice of receipt of requests from the registrants to voluntarily cancel these product registrations. The products include EPA Reg No 000100-00863 for Sentinel 40WG Turf Fungicide (cyproconazole) from Syngenta Crop Protection; 003090-00165 for Sanitized Brand T96-21 (triclosan) from Sanitized Inc; and 005204-00001 for Biomet TBTO (tributyltin oxide) from Arkema Inc.
SOURCE EPA
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether tiny fibre-like formations, known as dendrites, inside lithium-ion batteries could have played a role in battery failures on two Boeing Co (BA.N) 787 Dreamliners last month.
Dendrites - just one of several possible causes under investigation by the agency - accumulate as a battery is charged and discharged, and can cause short circuits, according to battery experts.
"As part of our continuing investigation, we are looking at whether dendrites may or may not have been a factor," Kelly Nantel, director of public affairs for the NTSB, told Reuters in an email.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the NTSB was looking into dendrites, suggesting that investigators were looking at the tiny deposits as a major element in the probe.
Nantel said the NTSB has not ruled out any potential causes and that dendrites are "one of many things we are looking at" in determining what caused a battery aboard a parked Japan Airlines (9201.T) 787 to catch fire in Boston on January 7.
"We are still considering several potential causes for the short circuiting" in the sixth of eight cells in the battery on the JAL plane, Nantel said.
NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said last week that a short circuit in the lithium-ion battery had caused the fire.
JAPAN PROBE
The Japan Transport Safety Board JTSB.L is investigating a second 787 battery incident that prompted an All Nippon Airways (9202.T) plane to make an emergency landing in western Japan on January 16. That battery showed signs of overheating.
Air safety regulators worldwide later grounded all 787s until the cause and a solution are found.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The planemaker completed what it called an uneventful test flight of a 787 on Saturday, its first since the lightweight, carbon-composite aircraft was grounded.
Nantel said other factors under investigation include the state of charge of each cell and the method and delivery of that charge, contamination, electrode folds, wrinkles and pinches, "and the assembly of the cells and battery."
The NTSB is also looking at "the total design of the battery, including the physical separation of the cells, their electrical interconnections, and their thermal isolation from each other," she added.
SOURCE Reuters
FOR FRENCH VERSION PLEASE CLICK HERE
Growers looking to maximize yields in their glyphosate-tolerant soybeans now have a new herbicide in their arsenal. BASF Canada announced today that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has registered OPTILLTM herbicide on soybeans for the 2013 season.
OPTILL is a pre-plant soybean herbicide that offers a fast burndown and superior residual weed control of grass and broadleaf weeds. Pre-registration trial results for OPTILL show a yield increase of two to three bushels per acre compared to using glyphosate alone.
"OPTILL allows growers to achieve their maximum yield, regardless of whether they're running vertical tillage or no-till operations - it's a great fit," says Joel Johnson, Brand Manager - Herbicides at BASF Canada. "It provides a clean start, with greater control of dandelions and grassy weeds from planting through to early crop development. Even in situations with heavy crop residue, it provides good residual activity."
Tank-mixed with glyphosate, OPTILL is a premix dry formulation of KIXOR® and imazethapyr (Group 14 and Group 2) that uses multiple modes of action to control a broad spectrum of weeds in glyphosate-tolerant soybeans. When applied pre-plant, OPTILL is part of a two-pass program that provides a fast and complete burndown with early season residual control of later germinating weeds for four to six weeks.
"The fast burndown and residual activity allows growers to have clean fields at the start of the season, and keep them clean all season long," says Johnson.
SOURCE BASF Official Press Release
Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC and Cheminova, Inc. have announced Fortix Fungicide is now registered for corn.
Fortix can be applied once, early — using ground or aerial application — to provide full-season fungicide benefits to soybeans and now corn.
Fortix is a combination of two best-in-class chemistries: fluoxastrobin, the fast-acting strobilurin, from Arysta LifeScience and flutriafol, the longest-lasting triazole, from Cheminova.
The two companies have partnered to launch the product into the market, and are jointly marketing and selling Fortix.
“Arysta LifeScience and Cheminova recently introduced Fortix to soybean growers,” said Kevin Staska, product manager, Arysta LifeScience. “Now corn growers will have the same flexibility to apply early, using ground or aerial application, for yield-enhancing fungicide benefits all season long.”
Fortix is labeled for numerous diseases in corn, including (but not limited to) gray leaf spot, northern and southern leaf blights, and rusts.
“As with the soybean market, we believe this product will set the new standard for fungicide performance, helping corn growers protect their investment and maximize every acre,” said Deneen Sebastian, product manager, Cheminova.
SOURCE http://deltafarmpress.com
Sasol will be proceeding with its plan to offload its stake in Arya Sasol Polymers Co. (ASPC) which it jointly holds with state-owned Iranian petrochemical major National Petrochemical Co.
A Polymerupdate source in Iran informed that the company's earnings in the first half to December 2012 have been impacted by a fall in the value of the Iranian rial. The company had announced its intention to sell its stake in ASPC in November 2011.
The company operates an ethylene plant with a capacity of 1 million mt/year, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plants of 300,000 mt/year each.
SOURCE Polymer Update
BASF's announcement in Jan 2013 that it was pulling out of the Rapid petrochemicals project with Petronas was a setback for the project but not a fundamental threat too it. For, as well as BASF, Petronas had been able to attract Japanese company Itochu, Thailand's PTT Global Chemical Public and Italy's Versalis for the $15 bn project. And another joint venture partner is to be announced. The project comprises a refinery with throughput of 300,000 bpd, a naphtha cracker with output of 3 M tonnes/y ethylene and propylene, and 3 M tonnes/y of petrochemicals capacity.
SOURCE Nachrichten fur Aussenhandel
RELATED STORIES
Qatar to invest $5bn in Malaysia petrochemicals complex
Ineos is likely to shut operations at its acrylonitrile (ACN) line.
Located at Cologne in Germany, the ACN line has a production capacity of 200,000 mt/year.
The line will be taken off-stream in March 2013 for repairs and will remain shut for 10-12 days, according to a Polymerupdate source in Germany.
SOURCE Polymer Update
In light of recent scrutiny concerning the safety of lithium ion batteries in the aerospace industry, Nevada-based battery developer and manufacturer K2 Energy Solutions, Inc. (K2 Energy) maintains that not all lithium ion batteries are the same. In fact, there exists an alternative to traditional lithium ion batteries that can be used with improved safety in the aerospace industry.
As a leading developer and producer of lithium ion batteries, K2 Energy designs a variety of energy storage systems based on its lithium iron phosphate cathode technology. The company's proprietary batteries have undergone extensive testing and analysis, and results suggest a level of safety that is significantly better than other lithium ion battery chemistries.
"It's no secret that any energy storage system, whether it's gasoline, jet fuel, or even lead acid batteries, by nature is hazardous when exposed to certain conditions like a spark, flame, or overcharge. For most companies the logical solution is to simply protect the fuel from exposure," says Johnnie Stoker, Ph.D, CEO of K2 Energy Solutions. "We've taken things a step further by actually changing the nature of the material itself. In the case of our batteries, by physically changing the cathode material we have created an environment where both the likelihood of a hazard, and the severity of an event if one occurs, is reduced."
As to why K2 Energy claims its batteries have a higher degree of safety, company executives point to three key factors:
1. Lithium iron phosphate batteries do not experience thermal runaway (the
condition currently under examination in the aerospace industry)
2. Battery packs built with K2 Energy's cells prevent the spread of thermal
or venting events.
3. K2 Energy batteries have a more robust design than typical pouch cell
batteries
Lithium iron phosphate batteries do not experience thermal runaway (the condition currently under examination in the aerospace industry):
Thermal runaway by definition is a cascading thermal event that takes place in a battery where a failure and thermal event in a single cell can initiate similar events in adjacent cells. It can be initiated internally or externally to the cell but can ultimately lead to a dangerous, propagating reaction.
K2 Energy's lithium iron phosphate cathode material, however, does not experience thermal runaway because it does not release oxygen when subjected to high temperatures, over-charge conditions, or mechanical damage as is the case with most oxide-based cathode materials.
Battery packs built with K2 Energy cells prevent the spread of any thermal or venting events.
Understanding the risk associated with creating energy sources, K2 Energy intentionally incorporates proprietary materials, processes and cell designs that reduce the likelihood of unstable thermal events. Strenuous testing and examination has demonstrated that K2 Energy batteries are difficult to ignite because of the materials and cell design used.
K2 Energy batteries have a more robust design than typical pouch cell batteries
Pouch cells (batteries packaged in polymer coated aluminum sheets) are used commonly in a variety of industries. However, when they are in close proximity to each other, pouch batteries can be susceptible to damage by thermal events originating in nearby batteries. As a result, a failure in one cell can easily spread, causing neighboring cells to experience thermal runaway, or release chemicals that can contribute to a fire.
K2 Energy has designed a solution where each battery is packaged in robust steel enclosures, preventing it from being affected by thermal damage from nearby batteries or external sources.
"Since this company started producing batteries, our priority has been to find and develop new, safer and lower cost forms of energy storage," says Jim Hodge, Ph.D, CTO at K2 Energy Solutions. "We're proud of the headway the company is making and feel we're only in the beginning stages of where this technology can go."
Not only is K2 Energy's effort gaining momentum, it is catching attention. Because of the safety and effectiveness of K2 Energy cells, the company is seeing a steady growing demand for applications requiring the safest batteries available.
A white paper regarding safety can be obtained by contacting the Company at 702-478-3590, or at info@K2battery.com.
ABOUT K2 ENERGY SOLUTIONS:
K2 Energy Solutions, Inc. was founded to commercialize and manufacture rechargeable battery systems for electric vehicles and energy storage applications. The company's battery systems are based on a lithium iron phosphate cathode material whose inherent safety and low cost makes them ideal for the large format systems required for energy storage and EV applications. K2 differentiates itself as a solutions provider for large format battery packs and systems, developing products based upon customer requirements and utilizing expertise in Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry.
K2 is a private corporation headquartered in Henderson, Nevada, with manufacturing capabilities in both Nevada and China.
SOURCE PRNewswire
RELEASED ON 13/02/13 (DD/MM/YY)
In the first half of 2012, China’s pesticides price first decreased and then rebounded considerably. In the first quarter of 2012, affected by persistent cold weather, the peak time for pesticide consumption in China was delayed, and the demand for insecticide and acaricides declined. In the second quarter, the domestic pesticide market improved rapidly and pesticide prices took an upward trend. Since the second half of 2012, outbreaks of major pests occurred in China’s main crop regions. In particular, autumn diseases and pests were more serious than usual, so the seasonal demand for pesticides was brisk, and prices increased. Driven by herbicides, China’s pesticide export volume rose drastically year-on-year, and the inventories of pesticide enterprises fell. In 2012 China’s pesticide market rebounded steadily.
While increasing its financial performance, China’s pesticide industry has responded to the needs for agricultural pest control, and made a positive contribution to domestic grain production.
The operation of the domestic pesticide industry in 2012 mainly had the following characteristics:
1. Output of pesticides grew rapidly
In the first 11 months of 2012, the accumulative output of pesticides in China reached 3.204 million tons, up 19.7% year-on-year. The growth was mainly in herbicides. China’s output of insecticides was 734 thousand tons, down 9.8% year-on-year, and the inventories of pesticide enterprises decreased. The change in output of fungicides varied by type, but overall, the output of fungicides fell. With significant growth in fungicide capacity overall, the output of bulk fungicides like carbendazim remained stable, whereas the output of some fungicides like tebuconazole was reduced. China’s total output of fungicides was 130 thousand tons, down 7.8% year-on-year and accounting for 4.1% of the total pesticide output. Driven by the bulk products such as glyphosate and 2,4-D, the domestic output of herbicides reached 1.485 million tons, up drastically, 42.3% year-on-year, and accounting for 46.3% of the total pesticide output. China’s output of pesticides (100% active ingredient) in the first 11 months of 2012 is listed in Table 1.
Table 1 China’s Output of Pesticides (100% active ingredient) in the First 11 Months of 2012
Variety Output (kt) Growth (%) Proportion of total pesticide output (%)
Pesticides 3 204 19.7
Insecticides 734 -9.8 22.9
Fungicides 130 -7.8 4.1
Herbicides 1 485 42.3 46.3
2. Import volume increased significantly and the average import price declined
In the first 10 months of 2012, China’s cumulative import volume of pesticides (physical goods) reached 54.2 thousand tons, up 23.2% year-on-year, the import value was US$482 million, a year-on-year growth of 18.0%, and the average import price was US$8 893.0 per ton, down 4.6% year-on-year. Insecticides had the highest average import price among pesticides, US$15.775 thousand per ton, up 5.2% year-on-year. China’s import volume of pesticides was equal to 1.9% of the domestic pesticide output. In recent years, both the influx of patented varieties from multinational corporations and the introduction of a comprehensive plan of agrochemical products and seed technology have had an increasing impact on the domestic market. The imported herbicides with the largest price drops have restricted the sales of non-patent pesticide varieties in China, and narrowed the pesticide formulation market. Foreign patented products have occupied 50% of the rice herbicide market in Jiangsu province and around 80% of the rice insecticide market in the south of Jiangsu province, while the market share of domestic products has gradually decreased. If things go on like this, China’s capability of disaster prevention and control will diminish. China’s import of pesticides (physical goods) in the first 10 months of 2012 is shown in Table 2.
Table 2 China’s Import of Pesticides (Physical goods) in the First 10 Months of 2012
Variety Amount (kt) Growth (%) Value (US$ million) Growth (%)
Pesticides 54.2 23.2 482 18
Insecticides 7.1 26.1 112 19.9
Fungicides 20.4 27.1 226 36.3
3. Export volume increased constantly but growth declined
In the first 10 months of 2012, China’s cumulative export volume of pesticides (physical goods) reached 748.9 thousand tons, up 12.6% year-on-year, and accounting for 26.1% of domestic pesticide output. The export value of pesticides was US$2.36 billion, and the average export price was US$3 151.3 per ton, up 4.3% year-on-year. China exported 497.9 thousand tons of herbicide technical, up 21.0% year-on-year, and accounting for 66.5% and 37.7%, respectively, of the export volume and herbicide output. The average export price of herbicides reached US$2 737.5 per ton, a year-on-year growth of 6.4%. Both the volume and value of fungicide exports declined constantly. In the first 10 months of 2012, the trade surplus of pesticides was US$1.879 billion, up 17.1% year on year, and compared with the same period of 2011, the growth of both the volume and value of pesticide exports declined considerably. In October 2012, the growth rate of both the volume and value of pesticide exports rose considerably, compared with September 2012. Like the previous year in which the export volume of pesticide formulations exceeded that of pesticide technical, in the first 10 months of 2012, China’s export volume of pesticide formulations continue to grow rapidly, further accelerating China’s pesticide brands to enter the international market. China’s export of pesticides (physical goods) and trade surplus in the first 10 months of 2012 are listed in Table 3.
Table 3 China’s Export of Pesticides (physical goods) and Trade Surplus in the First 10 Months of 2012
Variety Export Amount (kt) Growth (%) Value (US$ million) Growth (%)
Trade surplus Value (US$ million) Growth (%)
Pesticides 748.9 12.6 2 360 17.3 1 879 17.1
Insecticides 161.7 -5.4 650 11 538 9.4
Fungicides 59.6 -7.5 281 -9.9 55 -62.3
Herbicides 497.9 21 1 363 28.2 1 267 32.3
4. Profit of China’s pesticide industry increased rapidly
In the first 11 months of 2012, China’s pesticide industry accomplished a total industrial output value of RMB219.35 billion at current prices, up 23.2% year-on-year, a total sales value of RMB212.69 billion at current prices, up 22.6%, a sales/production ratio of 96.5%, down 0.42 percentage points. In the first 10 months of 2012, the total profit of China’s pesticide industry reached 11.69 billion, a drastic growth of 33.9% year-on-year, and the average sales profit ratio reached 6.1%, considerably higher than in the same period of 2011. The number of enterprises with financial losses fell by 6.2%, and the combined loss was RMB650 million, down 5.2% year-on-year. All these show that the financial performance of the pesticide industry has improved considerably.
5. Strengthening enterprises and accelerating M&A and restructuring
The lowest revenue of top 100 pesticide sales enterprises continue to rise drastically from RMB170 million in 2010 to RMB200 million in 2011, reflecting the enhancement of scale and strength of enterprises. The top 100 firms' sales revenue totaled RMB61.86 billion in 2011, up 24.5% year-on-year. Large enterprises have played an increasingly important role in the adjustment of economic and industrial structure, and the market is also gradually rebounding.
During 2012, the number of pesticide enterprises with considerable scale in China increased from 773 to 800. Thirteen mergers or acquisitions took place in the domestic pesticide industry, after only six events in 2011. M&A and restructuring in China’s pesticide industry is accelerated and is laying a new foundation for the pesticide industry to be larger and stronger. Statistics of big M&A and cooperation events in the domestic pesticide enterprise in 2012 are shown in Table 4.
Table 4 Statistics of M&A and Cooperation Events in the Domestic Pesticide Enterprises in 2012
Number Enterprise Event Type of enterprises Remarks
1 Jiangsu Lanfeng Biochemical Co., Ltd Merged Taicang Otsuka Chemical Co., Ltd Pesticide technical Taicang Otsuka Chemical Co., Ltd, owned by Otsuka Chemical of Japan and established in the 1990s, produces insecticides like carbofuran technical (98%) that complement the insecticide products of Jiangsu Lanfeng Biochemical Co., Ltd
2 Shandong United Pesticide Industry Co., Ltd Merged Taian United Biotechnology Co., Ltd Pesticide technical The change of ownership
3 Jiangsu Pesticide Institute Company Ltd Merged Nanjing Suyan Kechuang Agrochemical Co., Ltd Pesticide technical The change of ownership
4 Jiangsu Good Harvest-Weien Agrochemical Co., Ltd Merged Jiangsu Shenghua Pesticide Co., Ltd Pesticide technical The hot products like 2,4-D as well as dicamba technical of former Jiangsu Shenghua Pesticide Co., Ltd will bring drastic operation improvement for Jiangsu Good Harvest-Weien Agrochemical Co., Ltd
5 Hubei Sanonda Co., Ltd Merged Sanonda (Jingzhou) Pesticide Chemical Co., Ltd Pesticide technical The change of ownership
6 Hunan Nongda Haite Agrochemical Co., Ltd Merged Yantai Jinnuo Bio-Engineering Co., Ltd Pesticide formulation The resource integration of Huizhou Sino-Quick Group’s subsidiary in Hunan province
7 Hunan Sino-Quick Agrochemical Co., Ltd Cooperation of Hunan Hongcheng Bio-tech Co., Ltd and Hunan Fengtian Crop Science Co., Ltd Pesticide formulation The resource integration of Huizhou Sino-Quick Group’s subsidiary in Hunan province
8 Chengdu Kelilong Biochemical Co., Ltd Merged Shaanxi Tianfu Tengda Crop Protection Science Co., Ltd Pesticide formulation The resource integration of Huizhou Sino-Quick Group’s subsidiary in Sichuan province
9 Gansu Huashi Agricultural Science and Technology Co., Ltd Acquired Shanxi Lvzhou Agricultural Science and Technology Co., Ltd Pesticide technical The change of ownership
10 Henan Yuanjian Agricultural Science and Technology Co., Ltd M&A and restructuring of Zhengzhou Dahe Agrochemical Co., Ltd and Wfoe Safe Technology Co., Ltd Pesticide formulation The change of ownership
11 Jinan Zhongke Green Bioengineering Co., Ltd Merged Shandong Zhongbang Pesticide Co., Ltd Pesticide formulation The change of ownership
12 Shenyang Hetian Chemical Co., Ltd Merged Beijing Zhongnong Kemei Chemical Co., Ltd Pesticide formulation The change of ownership
13 Chongqing Huapont Pharm. Co., Ltd Acquired Hangzhou Qingfeng Agro-chemical Co., Ltd Pesticide technical Chongqing Huapont Pharm. Co., Ltd will rely on Hangzhou Qingfeng Agro-chemical Co., Ltd to extend its strategic basic resources
6. Investment maintains rapid growth
In the first 10 months of 2012, the growth of accumulated investments in China’s pesticide industry reached 23.3%, up around 10 percentage points year-on-year. The patents of bulk hot products like 2,4-D and glyphosate as well as azoxystrobin have just expired, and a number of pesticide technical products, some with a global sales value of over US$100 million, have become an investment focus. According to the investment cycle and growth characteristics of the industry, in 2013 the investment in China’s pesticide industry will still grow rapidly, exceeding 20%.
7. Domestic pesticide industry has gradually recovered
Since 2012, the market of bulk products with glyphosate as the representative has gradually recovered, driving bulk pesticide prices up. However, the number of major glyphosate enterprises has increased from 8 in early 2012 to more than 20, fragmenting the country’s capacity considerably. In addition, a lot of pesticide enterprises have planned to expand capacity, and the problems of excess capacity and malignant competition will become more serious.
Projection of China’s pesticide market in 2013
In 2013, China’s output of pesticide technical will maintain a slight growth and is expected to reach 3.6 million tons. In the domestic market, driven by the brisk demand for herbicides, China’s demand for pesticides is expected to increase by 4.68%. In the international market, with the constant export increase, the number of anti-dumping cases lodged by overseas countries against Chinese products has increased constantly. Two dumping investigations on China-made glyphosate formulations were launched by Australia in 2012 and show that the target of anti-dumping actions by other countries has shifted from pesticide technical to pesticide formulations, and the pesticide makers have faced grim foreign trade situations. It is expected that export growth in 2013 will not be faster than in 2012.
SOURCE China Chemical Reporter
Valent BioSciences Corporation (VBC) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted registration approval for PoMaxaTM Plant Growth Regulator (PGR). PoMaxa is a potent auxin-based product that maximizes thinning and harvest management programs on apples and pears and will also increase return bloom in both apples and pears.
The newest addition to VBC’s biorational portfolio of pome fruit products, PoMaxa is based on the active ingredient 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid and offers growers the convenience of multiple uses in a single, easy-to-use formulation.
“The addition of PoMaxa to our product portfolio gives pome fruit growers another powerful tool to get the best results from their PGR program,” said Johan Pienaar, global business manager of the PGR business unit for VBC. “The versatility of this product and the outstanding results we’ve seen through our intensive trial work adds up to tremendous potential in 2013 and beyond.”
Pienaar says PoMaxa was developed specifically for use in a program with VBC plant growth regulators MaxCel® and ReTain®, both industry standards in the production of high quality pome fruit. PoMaxa is used with MaxCel in early season applications to maximize thinning, fruit size and return bloom. Later in the season, PoMaxa is used with ReTain to maximize harvest management potential without sacrificing fruit quality or storageability.
“The convenience of having one product and one formulation with multiple uses is definitely a plus for growers,” Pienaar says. “The development of PoMaxa is a testament to what’s possible when industry leaders come together to find ways to improve productivity and efficiencies in an environment where fruit quality is still king, and is the result of our commitment to helping growers sustainably improve productivity, efficiency, fruit quality and value.”
Sales of PoMaxa will begin immediately through VBC’s sister company, Valent U.S.A. Corporation. Valent’s team of technical support and sales representatives have worked closely with VBC throughout the development process and are positioned to assist its customers in the adoption of PoMaxa throughout pome fruit growing regions of the U.S.
About Valent BioSciences Corporation
About Valent BioSciences Corporation: Headquartered in Libertyville, IL, Valent BioSciences is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Chemical Company. Valent BioSciences is the worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of biorational products, with sales in 95 countries around the world. Valent BioSciences is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.valentbiosciences.com.
About Valent U.S.A. Corporation
Valent, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., develops and markets products in the United States and Canada that protect agricultural crops, enhance crop yields, improve food quality, beautify the environment and safeguard public health. Valent products include a well-known line of quality herbicide, insecticide, fungicide and plant growth regulator products for agricultural, seed protection and professional use. It differentiates itself from its competitors as a leader in marketing and sales of both biorational and traditional chemical products. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.valent.com.
SOURCE http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/news
Une piste à l'étude
"Dans le cadre de l'enquête que nous menons actuellement, nous examinons si des dendrites ont pu ou non être un facteur", a souligné, Kelly Nantel, directrice de la communication du NTSB, dans un courriel que s'est procuré Reuters. Cette dernière a précisé qu'il ne s'agissait que d'une hypothèse, notamment évoquée par le 'Wall Street Journal'. Le quotidien rapportait que le NTSB enquêtait sur le sujet.
Vols d'essai
L'incendie de batterie du Dreamliner de la compagnie Japan Airlines a eu lieu le 7 janvier, une dizaine de jours avant qu'un second 787, appartenant à All Nippon Airways , soit victime d'un incident semblable au Japon. Depuis cette succession d'incidents, la cinquantaine d'exemplaires en service du dernier-né de Boeing ont été cloués au sol par les autorités de régulation aérienne à travers le monde. Le groupe a cependant obtenu l'autorisation, la semaine dernière, d'effectuer des vols d'essai, dont le premier a eu lieu samedi et le second lundi. Boeing n'a pas précisé combien de vols d'essai il prévoyait...
http://www.boursier.com/actualites/economie/les-dendrites-a-l-origine-de-l-incen die-du-boeing-787-dreamliner-18584.html
(Agence Ecofin) - A la suite d’une audience avec le chef de l’Etat camerounais, Vincent Bolloré a annoncé un « grand projet de développement de l’énergie photovoltaïque au Cameroun », selon le Quotidien de l’Economie.
Selon M. Bolloré, l’une des plus grandes richesses du Cameroun, c’est le soleil. Aujourd’hui, avec le soleil, on peut stocker l’énergie dans une batterie que son groupe fabrique. « Avec cette batterie, on peut faire rouler des voitures ou des bus électriques, sans bruit et sans pollution », a précisé l’industriel selon le quotidien camerounais qui avait déjà annoncé l’an passé le lancement, au Cameroun, d’une ferme photovoltaïque.
Fort d’une expérience satisfaisante en Ile de France, l’industriel breton souhaite s’engager dans cette activité, au Cameroun, dès ce printemps 2013.
En décembre dernier, Vincent Bolloré annonçait son intention d’introduire en Bourse son activité de batterie électrique, essentiellement « pour voir ce que pensent les financiers de cette activité. », avait-il déclaré.
http://www.agenceecofin.com/energies-renouvelables/1102-8878-bollore-veut-develo pper-de-l-energie-photovoltaique-et-des-batteries-au-cameroun