Plant Protection Products (PPP): Pesticides
The mandatory quality control tests for each sector ensure both the product's performance from the manufacturer's perspective and compliance with regulatory requirements. This also applies to pesticide formulations, referred to as Plant Protection Products (PPP), which must be evaluated under the OECD Statement of GLP Compliance. Pesticide formulations are essentially commercial product forms of active ingredients used in agriculture, designed to be applicable, safe, and effective.
What are the main application areas of pesticide formulations?
- Field Crops: For products cultivated over large areas, such as wheat, corn, cotton, and sugar beets, they are used to control weeds (herbicides), pests (insecticides), and diseases (fungicides).
- Horticulture and Fruit Cultivation: They are used for products such as grapes, olives, apples, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and peppers against pests and fungal diseases.
- Greenhouse Cultivation: For vegetables and ornamental plants grown in a controlled environment, they are applied in lower dosages and with sensitive formulations.
- Forestry and Ornamental Plants: They are used against forest pests, aphids, and fungal diseases in ornamental plants.
- Stored Products: In grain storage facilities, silos, and warehouses, pesticide formulations (fumigants, powders) are used against insect infestations and mold formation.
- Public Health Sector: Special formulations (e.g., aerosols, fumigants) have been developed against pests that endanger human health, such as mosquitoes, cockroaches, and fleas.
- Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry: Pesticide formulations are available for use in stables and sheepfolds against flies, ticks, and parasites.
- Water Resources and Rice Fields: Specific formulations are used for the control of mosquito larvae or aquatic weeds.
Quality Control Tests for Pesticide Formulations
The tests conducted on Plant Protection Products (PPP) can be categorized into physicochemical tests, chemical purity and content analyses, stability tests, physical shelf-life tests, and biological efficacy tests. These tests enable manufacturers to align their products with regulatory requirements.
OECD CIPAC MT 184 – Suspensibility of Suspension Concentrates
The CIPAC MT 184 Suspensibility Test, which is among the physicochemical tests,
one of the quality control tests for pesticide formulations and measures the percentage of aqueous suspension concentrates (SC) that remain suspended in water after a specified standing period, upon re-shaking or mixing.
The objective of the test is to assess the homogeneous dispersibility of the active ingredient within the formulation without precipitation, to examine its redispersibility in the event of any precipitation, and to ensure that the product provides uniform dosage and efficacy during field application.
Let us consider the results from an evaluation perspective:
If the suspension stability exceeds the limit specified in CIPAC or FAO/WHO specifications (e.g., ≥ 70–90%), the product is considered suitable.
Low suspension stability indicates that the product does not disperse homogeneously during application, leading to reduced efficacy.
What does Nano-Test do?
Nano-Test accepts your pesticide products and tests them in accordance with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). If you require our support to test your products and confirm their conformity, please contact us.
We are happy to assist you. info@nano-test.de