AkzoNobel is helping customers in China to make more efficient use of limited land resources by expanding its portfolio of locally produced agrochemical products.

China has a well-documented shortage of arable land, which means sustainable technologies developed as part of our agrochemical portfolio are providing customers with valuable solutions. Most recently, these include new adjuvant and dispersant offerings, which increase effectiveness while using less of the product.

“We provide innovative and cost-effective agrochemical technologies in countries around the world,” explained John Cate, global sales and marketing director (Agro) for AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry. “We strive to focus on local development and production to ensure that we serve our customers as effectively as possible, especially in large agricultural markets such as China, which is a strategically important market for us.”

Added Oije San Diego, sales and marketing director of the company’s Surface Chemistry business in China: “We are committed to supplying locally developed and manufactured products that offer our customers sustainable solutions for crop protection. Our two most recent offerings – Adsee X-30 (an adjuvant which increases the activity of the end product) and Agrilan 788 (a dispersing agent which separates particles to help avoid clumping) – specifically cater to the needs of local agrochemical customers and have proved to be very popular in the Chinese market.”

The launch of the two products also underlines AkzoNobel’s Planet Possible approach of delivering more value from fewer resources by working together with customers and suppliers.

“AkzoNobel offers an extensive product range with sustainable features and outstanding performance,” commented Mr. Yu Dong, General Manager of Nanjing Jierun Science & Technology Co., Ltd. “The company’s extensive local experience, combined with their global know-how, gives them an edge and means they can respond faster to growing market needs.”

In 2014, AkzoNobel spent more than €360 million on research, development and innovation, two-thirds of which was focused on sustainability. The results of this work can be seen through products such as Adsee X-30 and Agrilan 788.

AkzoNobel’s agrochemicals portfolio in China includes:

    Surfactants: Adsee X-30, Agrilan 788 Morwet, Adsee, Ethomeen and Ethylan. They help to increase the crop yield per acre by controlling weeds, fungus and insects. A critical factor in achieving this is the ability to reduce unwanted spray drift. This helps to improve leaf penetration, enabling the active ingredients to work more effectively.

    Ethylene amines: Ethylenediamine (EDA) is a key intermediate for fungicides and pesticides, while diethanolamine (DEA) is a key raw material for producing herbicides.

    Chelates and micronutrients: Chelates are raw materials for producing chelated micronutrients. AkzoNobel is the market leader and produces a wide range of micronutrients, which are mainly used in fertigation (the combined application of water and nutrients) and hydroponics (a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil). Micronutrients improve crop quality and yield and are a sustainable solution for feeding growing world populations.

    Monochloroacetic acid (MCA) is sold to leading agro businesses who use it as a building block to produce certain insecticides and herbicides (e.g. 2,4-D). AkzoNobel is the global market leader in MCA, including China.