Fertil-MAX

CURRENT SITUATION:

The Black Sigatoka fungus (Mycosphaerella Fijiensis) is considered the most dangerous and
expensive disease affecting banana plantations in all the tropical countries around the world.
Chemical fungicides have been subjected to huge pressure, not only from the tendency of the
fungus to achieve resistance to the chemical fungicides, but also from the intense public
scrutiny due to the negative health consequences to those exposed to these chemicals
(workers, neighbors, environment) as well as the final banana consumer. In some banana
producing countries the Black Sigatoka fungus is so aggressive that they need to spray the
fields every 5 to 7 days or 60+ times per year posing considerable risks as mentioned above.
Based on a report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the EU Committee on Plants,
Animals, Food and Feed voted to ban chlorothalonil and dithiocarbamate usage and imposed
much lower residual content for these substances present in bananas imported into the EU.
This meant that the only two contact chemical fungicides, and probably the most used in Latin
American banana plantations, have been discarded from the portfolio commonly used for
Sigatoka control in bananas.
Contact chemical fungicides have been of paramount importance in Sigatoka disease
management because through their correct rotation during the aerial spray campaign they
help avoid the inherent tendency of systemic fungicides to lose efficacy in fungal control.
Fungicides such as Tilt, Bankit, Benlate and many other once highly effective chemical
systemic fungicides are no longer used in banana fields due to their lack of Sigatoka fungus
control.
This fact creates a very risky and dangerous possibility for a phytosanitary crisis in the banana
industry which could lead to devastating losses if the fungal control on the fields is
jeopardized by the lack of proper rotation of fungicides and the fungus mutates into a more
resistant strain.

Our story:

In 2010, our Company signed an Exclusive Research & Development and Distribution
Agreement with Safer Organics International, LLC (Ex-AGRISAFE Products, Inc.) to begin
experimenting with their revolutionary biostimulant called AGRISAFE or AG-250 for the Latin
American Ag Market. This biostimulant´s unique 100% natural formula is a synergistic blend
of 100%-safe food additives from green sources that, among other things, has been
documented as a bio-fungicide, a hormone precursor, a “SAR” inducer, a viricide, bactericide
and insecticide.
Our technical team has been quietly working in banana farms all over Ecuador to test, develop
and document several applications of the “AGRISAFE” technology and we are very proud to
present the following products which are in the process of obtaining Registration Approvals
from AGROCALIDAD (Ecuador´s Official Entity in charge of agri-product approval and
registration):
1. AG-250 Bio-Pesticide: The first organic approved plant protection product (See
ECOCERT website, www.ecocert.com) that acts as a protectant and contact fungicide
 on its own while at the same time stimulating the plant to activate production of its
own hormones and inducing a systemic acquired resistance cascade effect. This
product can be used on its own during low-pressure periods and as a rotation tool that
perfectly replaces chlorothalonil and dithiocarbamates on its own or mixed with
systemic fungicides. Can be diluted in water or used in emulsion (water + Ag oil) and
has no entry restrictions, no negative impact on beneficial insects and no resistance
risk as its natural substances work in several fungal stages making it impossible for the
fungus to mutate and develop immunity. AG-250 exhibits excellent control of first
and second stages of Black Sigatoka leaf infection. This product has been certified by
the following:
• Control evaluation for AG-250, AG-250 SS I, AG-250 SS II & AG-250 SS III under
laboratory conditions for control of colonies, mycelia and ascospores of
Mycosphaerella Fijiensis fungus. Performed by AGROLAB (conducted by Dr.
María Isabel Jiménez, leading Sigatoka expert in Ecuador). Documentation
handed upon request.
• Single-leaf Field Trial Documentation for the efficacy of AG-250 Bio-Pesticide
versus Bravo 720 (chlorothalonil) done by AGROBIZSA, (Managed by Ing.
Arturo Calle, former Head of Phytosanitary Department of Dole Ecuador).
Documentation handed upon request.
• Testimonial from the technical team of a large banana producing group where
all the AGRISAFE products were tested under extreme levels of fungal
infections on the crop foliage and almost lost production due to the severity
of the disease. Technicians, Manager and Owner have documented in writing
the recovery of almost 2000 hectares of bananas which were on the brink of
being quarantined from production due to the Sigatoka fungus control loss. 4
applications of our portfolio of products saved the farms from week 21 to week
26. Documentation handed upon request.
• Report that verifies the efficacy of 6 cocktail applications with AG-250 as
replacement for Mancozeb on two lots versus conventional cocktails at
Clementina Farm, Montalvo County, Los Ríos province, Ecuador.
• AG-250 has been approved as a Plant Protection Product by Ecocert for use in
Japanese and USA organic agriculture. EU approval pending.

2. AG-250 SS I Bio-Pesticide: As a result of the success demonstrated with AG-250 and

as a response to the insistent request from the field technicians for our product to
achieve a systemic fungal control behavior, we started experimenting with different
additives with proven fungicidal effects. So during the 2013 rainy season in Ecuador,
AG-250 SS I (our first “Super Systemic” product) was successfully tested on banana
farms under high fungal pressure (April 1st – May 25th). This product, among other
additions, has two copper compounds that contribute to its tremendous efficacy at
controlling the initial stages (1st & 2nd) of Black Sigatoka by contact and systemically,
as well as lowering the growth speed or aggressiveness of 3rd and 4th stages on the
leaves. Apart from its plant bio-stimulation effect, AG-250 SS I and its copper
components help in the reduction of disease-causing viral and bacterial populations
and promote a higher boost in crop auto-defense through the generation of
phytoalexins, among other things. Can be diluted in water or used in emulsion (water
+ Ag oil) and has no entry restrictions, no negative impact on beneficial insects and no
 resistance risk as its natural substances work in several fungal stages making it
impossible for the fungus to mutate and develop immunity. This product has been
certified by the following:
• Control evaluation for AG-250, AG-250 SS I, AG-250 SS II & AG-250 SS III under
laboratory conditions for control of colonies, mycelia and ascospores of
Mycosphaerella Fijiensis fungus. Performed by AGROLAB (conducted by Dr.
María Isabel Jiménez, leading Sigatoka expert in Ecuador). Documentation
handed upon request.
• Single-leaf Field Trial Documentation for the efficacy of AG-250 Bio-Pesticide
versus Bravo 720 (chlorothalonil) done by AGROBIZSA, (Managed by Ing.
Arturo Calle, former Head of Phytosanitary Department of Dole Ecuador).
Documentation handed upon request.
• Testimonial from the technical team of a large banana producing group where
all the AGRISAFE products were tested under extreme levels of fungal
infections on the crop foliage and almost lost production due to the severity
of the disease. Technicians, Manager and Owner have documented in writing
the recovery of almost 2000 hectares of bananas which were on the brink of
being quarantined from production due to the Sigatoka fungus control loss. 4
applications made from week 21 to week 26-2020 of our portfolio of products
saved the farms. Documentation handed upon request.
• ECOCERT organic approval for EU, JAS and US NOP markets is currently in
process.

3. AG-250 SS II Bio-Pesticide: Following the promising effects documented with AG-250

SS I, our technical team continued with R&D this time trying to find a product that,
apart from controlling Black Sigatoka by contact and systemically, could help plants
withstand the severe UV radiation stress attributed to global warming that affects
productivity during the hot, rainy season. So we developed, tested and successfully
applied a product that had a much more powerful effect on Black Sigatoka by
controlling 1st, 2nd and up to 3rd stages of fungal infection on banana leaves with a
prophylactic effect while at the same time covering the first 5 to 7 leaves with a
coating of silicon dioxide which apart from its nutritive and stimulating effect, provides
a reflecting shield on the leaves to repel the higher levels of sun radiation. Can be
diluted in water or used in emulsion (water + Ag oil) and has no entry restrictions, no
negative impact on beneficial insects and no resistance risk as its natural substances
work in several fungal stages making it impossible for the fungus to mutate and
develop immunity. This product can be used from 0.75 liter up to 2 liters per hectare,
depending on fungal level of infection and the levels of UV radiation.
• Control evaluation for AG-250, AG-250 SS I, AG-250 SS II & AG-250 SS III under
laboratory conditions for control of colonies, mycelia and ascospores of
Mycosphaerella Fijiensis fungus. Performed by AGROLAB (conducted by Dr.
María Isabel Jiménez, leading Sigatoka expert in Ecuador). Documentation
handed upon request.
• Single-leaf Field Trial Documentation for the efficacy of AG-250 Bio-Pesticide
versus Bravo 720 (chlorothalonil) done by AGROBIZSA, (Managed by Ing.
 Arturo Calle, former Head of Phytosanitary Department of Dole Ecuador).
Documentation handed upon request
• Testimonial from the technical team of a large banana producing group where
all the AGRISAFE products were tested under extreme levels of fungal
infections on the crop foliage and almost lost production due to the severity
of the disease. Technicians, Manager and Owner have documented in writing
the recovery of almost 2000 hectares of bananas which were on the brink of
being quarantined from production due to the Sigatoka fungus control loss. 4
applications from week 21 to week 26-2020 of our portfolio of products saved
the farms. Documentation handed upon request.
• ECOCERT organic approval for EU, JAS and US NOP markets is currently in
process.

4. AG-250 SS III Bio-Pesticide: During the 2013 rainy season we came up with an
extremely efficient combination of citrus components, vitamins and phytonutrients
which became known as AG-250 SS III making this probably the world´s most efficient
natural fungicide available worldwide. Not only is AG-250 SS III a contact plus systemic
fungicide capable of controlling and curing 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages of fungal
infection, it also helps the plant naturally heal the infected stomas reducing the
growing fungal pressure and quickly bringing back the phytosanitary control of the
crop to safe levels during periods of high rain and high humidity which many times put
banana farms at risk of losing production. Can be diluted in water or used in emulsion
(water + Ag oil) and has no entry restrictions, no negative impact on beneficial insects
and no resistance risk as its natural substances work in several fungal stages making it
impossible for the fungus to mutate and develop immunity. This product has been
certified by the following:
• Control evaluation for AG-250, AG-250 SS I, AG-250 SS II & AG-250 SS III under
laboratory conditions for control of colonies, mycelia and ascospores of
Mycosphaerella Fijiensis fungus. Performed by AGROLAB (conducted by Dr.
María Isabel Jiménez, leading Sigatoka expert in Ecuador). Documentation
handed upon request.
• Single-leaf Field Trial Documentation for the efficacy of AG-250 Bio-Pesticide
versus Bravo 720 (chlorothalonil) done by AGROBIZSA, (Managed by Ing.
Arturo Calle, former Head of Phytosanitary Department of Dole Ecuador).
Documentation handed upon request
• Testimonial from the technical team of a large banana producing group where
all the AGRISAFE products were tested under extreme levels of fungal
infections on the crop foliage and almost lost production due to the severity
of the disease. Technicians, Manager and Owner have documented in writing
the recovery of almost 2000 hectares of bananas which were on the brink of
being quarantined from production due to the Sigatoka fungus control loss. 4
applications of our portfolio of products from week 21 to week 26-2020 saved
the farms. Documentation handed upon request.
• ECOCERT organic approval for EU, JAS and US NOP markets is currently in
process.
All the above mentioned products are destined to become the most important tools in the
portfolio for Black Sigatoka control allowing technicians the following benefits:
1. Preventative Effects: Inhibits the germination of spores and conidia from
Mycosphaerella Fijiensis.
2. Curative Effects: Inhibits the growth and advance of the tissue lesions caused by the
fungus.
3. Suppressive Effects: Suppresses the fungus colonies up to the 4th stage, thereby
reducing the existing pressure inside the crop.
4. Healing Effects: Inhibits the development of the yellow halo typical of the 5th stage of
Black Sigatoka fungus.
5. Hormone Production Stimulation: The product allows the creation of the plants’ own
hormones which lead to more leaves, more roots, bigger bunch, longer fingers, etc.
6. Bio-Stimulating Effects: Increases brix grade, growth rate, fortifies the plants’ defense
mechanisms and repels chewing, gnawing and sucking pests from the plants.
7. Allows technicians to implement safe rotation of fungicides to avoid fungus
resistance.
8. Lowers the use of Ag Spray oil on the emulsion (max 1.5 gallon/hectare) which
benefits the crop, the environment and saves money for the farmer.
9. Eco-Friendly Behaviour: Safe for the environment, the operator, mammal, aquatic
and beneficial insect life.
10. Organic Conversion Tool: These products will allow in a very short term the possibility
for Ecuadorian banana farmers to become organically certified growers with all the
benefits this entails.

WE CAN CONVERT ECUADOR INTO THE FIRST 100 % ECO-FRIENDLY, ORGANIC

BANANA PRODUCER IN THE WORLD!