Agricultural Defensives: How to Use Herbicides, Fungicides, and Insecticides Safely and Efficiently

The agricultural defensives — herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and acaricides — are the inputs that ensure the protection of crops against productivity losses due to weeds, diseases, and pests. In Brazil, they represent 15 to 25% of the production cost of soy and corn — and the efficiency of application (right timing, correct dosage, appropriate product) is the critical factor that defines the cost per point of protected productivity.

The Brazilian defensive market moves over R$ 60 billion per year — the largest in the world by volume. The increasing pressure for MRL (Maximum Residue Limits) in exports, the resistance of weeds and pests, and the growth of biologicals are the three trends that are transforming the plant protection market.

When defensives are used with IPM (Integrated Pest Management) and application technology, this segment can greatly contribute to job and income generation in Brazil.

Join our strategic actions for the implementation of the best solutions in the Brazilian agribusiness sector. Our activities, studies, and advanced research cover 20 chains and 255 segments of the national agribusiness — from the grain chain to sustainable extraction, including horticulture, fruit farming, livestock, and much more.

The series Innovation For Brazil to Produce More was developed specifically to identify and implement the best solutions available in Brazil and around the world, across the 255 segments of the agribusiness sector — with accessible technical language, updated data, and a focus on practical results for producers, suppliers, governments, and marketers.

1.  Opportunities for Small Rural Producers

How to use defensives efficiently and safely to reduce costs and residues

The efficient use of defensives starts with IPM (Integrated Pest Management) — regular monitoring of the crop to identify the right moment for application, the level of economic damage, and the choice of the most efficient product with the lowest risk of resistance.

✔    IPM — monitoring before applying; only applies at the economic damage level

✔    Application technology: correct nozzle; pressure; spray volume

✔    Rotation of action mechanisms — prevents resistance

✔    PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) — mandatory during application

✔    PRONAF and Rural Credit for defensives

The E-Book 01 — Strategic Manual for Small Rural Producers presents, in detail, the best solutions for this segment and the other 254 of Brazilian agribusiness — focusing on method, cost reduction, and progressive growth from Agro 1.0 to Agro 6.0.  Access now for BRL 99.00 →

2.  Opportunities for Micro and Small Local Suppliers

What services the defensive chain demands

Defensives require technical distributors, agronomic prescriptions, and application services — with an increasing demand for resistance monitoring.

Solutions by area of engineering applied to the segment

Our activities, studies, and advanced research cover six major areas of engineering — and the chain demands solutions in all of them:

Electrical Engineering and Computing — variable rate sprayers;

Electronic Engineering and IoT — wind, temperature, and humidity sensors for application;

Control and Automation Engineering — precision spraying drones;

Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering — GPS-guided self-propelled sprayers;

Renewable Energy Engineering — solar for monitoring stations;

Data Science and Artificial Intelligence — disease and pest prediction models.

✔    Technical distributors with agronomic prescriptions

✔    IPM monitoring by field consultants

✔    Precision spraying drones

✔    Resistance analysis of pests and weeds

✔    Nozzle technology and application of defensives

The E-Book 02 — Strategic Guide for the Micro and Small Local Supplier maps, segment by segment, the business opportunities — focusing on IoT, energy, automation, and specialized technical services.  Access now for BRL 99.00 →

3.  Opportunities for Municipal Governments

How municipalities can support the safe use of defensives

The safe use of defensives is a matter of public health and the environment — and the municipality that supports training and agronomic prescriptions ensures the protection of the population and water sources.

✔    Reverse logistics program for packaging

✔    Municipal IDM: trained defensive applicators

✔    Digital agronomic prescriptions for producers

✔    Water quality monitoring in agricultural zones

✔    School of IPM and safe use of defensives

The E-Book 03 — Reference Guide for Municipal Governments presents the step-by-step for secretaries and municipal managers to implement effective public policies for the 255 segments of agribusiness.  Access now for BRL 99.00 →

4.  Opportunities for Small Agricultural Product Merchants

How defensives generate business for distributors and technical consultants

The technical distributor who offers agronomic prescriptions + IPM monitoring + resistance solution has the highest customer loyalty in the defensive market — because the producer who receives a quality technical recommendation does not switch suppliers for price.

For drone operators, the precision spraying service eliminates liquid waste, reduces the volume per hectare by 50 to 90%, and allows application in flooded areas unsuitable for ground sprayers — a high-value service with immediate ROI for the producer.

Products with high commercial potential

The main products derived from this segment for local retail and foodservice:

Digital agronomic prescription — essential and recurring service;

IPM monitoring by field — high-value service;

Precision spraying by drone — R$ 30 to R$ 60/ha;

Pest resistance analysis — a growing service;

Training in safe use of PPE — health service;

Packaging disposal (reverse logistics) — legal obligation.

Merchant profiles and their specific opportunities

✔    Technical distributors: prescriptions and resistance solutions

✔    Drone operators: precision spraying

✔    IPM consultants: monitoring and recommendations

✔    Biological industry: substitutes for insecticides

✔    MAPA: regulation and oversight

✔    Agronomists: mandatory prescriptions

Growth strategies for the local merchant

The distributor who transforms the sale of defensives into crop protection services with monitoring, recommendations, and outsourced application captures the entire value chain — and the producer pays for results, not for boxes of product.

The PRONAF and Rural Credit cover defensives. The Pronampe finances distributors. The BNDES supports biological companies.

The E-Book 04 — Strategic Guide for the Small Agricultural Product Merchant maps 30 merchant profiles and details the growth opportunities across all 255 segments of agribusiness.  Access now for BRL 99.00 →

Innovation and Technology Network

By purchasing any e-book from the series, you become a member of our Innovation and Technology Network. Groups with 30 members will be able to organize and fund in-person strategic planning events to identify and implement the best solutions available in Brazil and around the world.

✔    Small Rural Producers

✔    Micro and Small Supplier Companies

✔    Municipal Governments

✔    Small Agricultural Product Merchants

⭐  Special offer: I will provide 100% discount on the value of my working hours for the 10 pioneer events organized by 11/30/26 and held in December 2026. Therefore, the 10 pioneer groups will only cover the general expenses.

Sincerely,

Ivo Alves

CEO · Master in Electrical Engineering and Computing · Specialist in Innovation and Technology Project Management

Instructor: IFPB and UFRN  ·  38 years of experience in Engineering