London, United Kingdom
November 04, 2011

The wait is finally over. The most glamorous event on the calendar for the global crop protection industry took place this week at London’s Marriott Grosvenor Square. Some 400 movers and shakers in the industry gathered to celebrate the successes of a sector brimming with creativity and innovation.

The evening was hosted by TV and radio presenter, Katie Derham, who conducted a slick show as the winners and highly commended entrants were revealed to a room packed with anticipation.
“There was a broad diversity among the shortlisted applicants as well as winners,” says Sanjiv Rana, Editor-in-Chief of Agrow. “In fact, there were quite a few surprise winners. Competition was intense for our top awards, with many excellent applications.”

The loudest applause of the evening was for this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner, DuPont Distinguished Scientist Dr George Lahm.

“After a highly successful 31-year career, Dr Lahm is a world renowned expert in the field of insecticide research,” explains Sanjiv. “Dr Lahm initiated the programme that led to the development of indoxacarb, DuPont’s first new insecticide for more than 30 years. He also discovered a new class of anthranilic diamide insecticides that led to the commercialisation of chlorantraniliprole (trade-marked as Rynaxypyr), one of the most potent and least toxic insecticides ever developed. He is a deserving winner of this most highly-prized award.”

Other highlights of the evening included a new category in this year’s Agrow Awards which was won by newcomers to the event. US generic pesticide company Fuzion Technologies, along with its partners, Huntsman Petrochemical and Lighthouse Product Services, picked up the award for Best Industry Collaboration.

Fuzion and Huntsman also won the award for Best Formulation Innovation for their Veloz Technology. It is a pre-mix formulation technology that improves insecticide performance by attaching itself to the active ingredient and leading it through the insect cuticle. That results in faster penetration and knock-down, particularly under stressful environmental conditions.

Dupont was once again a prolific participant in the Agrow Awards, short-listed in no fewer than six categories and was ultimately successful in two, winning awards for Best Off-Patent Pesticide Strategy and Best Innovation for the first new termiticide innovation in nearly a decade.

Syngenta’s fungicidal seed treatment, Vibrance (sedaxane), was named Best Product and Bayer’s Movento earned the Most Innovative Chemistry award for its ability to move upwards and downwards to protect the whole plant after application.

Dow AgroSciences collected the award for Best Novel Agricultural Biotechnology for the multiple insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant SmartStax maize, which was co-developed with Monsanto.

US biopesticide company AgraQuest received the award for Best New Biopesticide. Serenade Soil is the first soil fungicide based on Bacillus subtilis strain QST 713, delivering chemical control of soil diseases and plant growth promotion.

The Best Supplier to the crop protection industry was judged to be Taminco for the second year running. It is the only globally active specialist producer of alkylamines and alkylamine derivatives used in crop protection products.

The Thai company, Sotus International, won the award for the Best Company from an Emerging Region. Its sales tripled between 2003 and 2010. An emphasis on farmer education through “edutainment” is a cornerstone of Sotus’ commitment to social responsibility.

The award for Best Supporting Role went to the US consulting and research firm, Kline & Company. It provides highly differentiated services to the crop protection industry, working with industry leaders to find solutions to critical strategic and operational challenges.

CropLife International won the award for Best Public Outreach Programme for the second year running. Its Biodiversity World Tour campaign focused on exploring the role of sustainable agriculture in biodiversity preservation. It was viewed online in 90 countries. CropLife America’s “Tell me More” programme was highly commended by the judges.

The award for Best Stewardship Programme went to the US DriftWatch Pesticide Sensitive Crop Registry.

“We had a tremendous response to these awards in terms of applications, sponsors and attendees,” says Sanjiv. “Our 14 categories were well-contested and we join our sponsors in congratulating the winners, highly commended nominees and shortlisted candidates. They all deserve the highest praise for their contributions to our industry.”

Agrow 2011 – Winners

BEST NEW CROP PROTECTION PRODUCT OR TRAIT – sponsored by Brandt
Syngenta (Vibrance)

MOST INNOVATIVE CHEMISTRY – sponsored by Indofil Industries Limited
Bayer CropScience (Movento)

BEST FORMULATION INNOVATION – sponsored by Taminco
Fuzion Technologies and Huntsman Petrochemical (Frenzy Veloz)

BEST NOVEL AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY – sponsored by Widecover and Hemani Group
Dow AgroSciences (SmartStax)

BEST NEWBIOPESTICIDE – sponsored by AgriGuard
AgraQuest (Serenade Soil)
BEST INDUSTRY COLLABORATION
Fuzion Technologies/
Huntsman Petrochemicals/
Lighthouse Product Services

BEST INNOVATION IN NON-CROP
DuPont Professional Products (Altriset)
BEST OFF-PATENT PESTICIDE STRATEGY – sponsored by Sulphur Mills Limited
DuPont Crop Protection (Indoxacarb Chiral Renewal)

BEST STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMME – sponsored by Gfk Kynetec
DriftWatch Pesticide Sensitive Crops and Habitats Registry

BEST PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAMME
CropLife International (Biodiversity World Tour)

BEST COMPANY FROM AN EMERGING REGION – sponsored by United Phosphorus Limited
Sotus International Company Limited

BEST SUPPLIER – sponsored by Exwold
Taminco

BEST SUPPORTING ROLE
Kline & Company

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT – sponsored by Syngenta
George P Lahm

Also supporting the event:
Guestbook sponsor - AgChem Access
Programme sponsor - Valent Biosciences
 

Website: http://www.agrow.com

Published: November 4, 2011