PRESS ROOM

Pilipinas Kao, Inc. Introduces New Product:



 
Pilipinas Kao, Inc. recently introduced a new product called ART-78 , a fatty alcohol-based de-suckering agent specially developed for application on tobacco plants during topping time to prevent the growth of suckers. It is a water-soluble emulsifiable concentrate, suitable for application on Virginia , Burley and Native Tobacco varieties.
 
The Use of De-Suckering Agent for Tobacco
 
One of the crucial steps in the cultivation of the tobacco plant to ensure good quality tobacco leaf (measured by its nicotine content) is during the "topping" activity, when the plant reaches its flowering stage. "Topping" is when the flowers of the tobacco plant are cut-off by hand in order to re-direct the nutrients to the leaves rather than to the flowers, which are of no commercial value. However, after cutting-off the flowers, there would be an immediate growth of new leaf buds called "suckers" , as they literally suck-off the nutrients and disturb the growth of normal leaves and affect their quality. Hence, there is a need to apply a "de-suckering" agent or chemical compound to the stalks of the plant to prevent or stop the growth of these suckers.
 

Conceptualization of ART-78

In September 2005, Pilipinas Kao, Inc.'s President, Yoshinari Umehara, together with then Manager for New Business Development, Hiromitsu Hoshikawa, conceptualized the idea of locally producing a coco-fatty alcohol-based tobacco de-suckering agent.

Hectares and hectares of farmlands in the Northern part of the Philippine island of Luzon produce the bulk of three types of tobacco leaves, namely Virginia , Burley, and Native tobacco. But for 20 years, there was only one available de-suckering agent in the market. Local farmers had no alternative but to use this expensive, imported, and synthetic compound for their topping activity.

In the spirit of "Yoki-Monuzukuri", the objective for ART-78 was to give tobacco leaf buyers and farmers a choice for a cheaper, environment-friendly and locally manufactured de-suckering agent.

 

Research and Development

During the last quarter of 2005, Pilipinas Kao, Inc. started coordination with the National Tobacco Authority (NTA) , a local government agency under the Department of Agriculture, in data gathering, thus, laying the groundwork for the development of ART-78.

By January 2006, the ART-78 team, composed of members of PKI Sales Group, was ready to conduct "Protocol Activity" tests, as the on-site trials are called . But to do this, they would have to go to the "genba", which were tobacco farmlands in northern Philippines , about 8-12 hours drive (300-500 kms) from the capital city of Manila . The objective for the on-site trial was to determine the optimum yet economical dosage of the ART-78.

This first protocol activity, which started in January 2006, required the team to go to the "genba" several times to observe the results of their application of the product and to get feedback from the farmers. Every visit for the on-site testing and observation were conducted under the assistance, supervision and guidance of the National Tobacco Authority.

A second protocol activity was done in January 2007 to verify the results of the first protocol activity and to determine the most suitable, efficient and economical dosage. In April 2007, the NTA then issued a Certificate of Product Efficacy and Suitability for ART-78. Product registration was also issued by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA).
 

ART-78 Product Description

 

ART-78 is the first and only Philippine-made, Fertilizer & Pesticide Authority & National Tobacco Authority approved de-suckering agent for use on tobacco plants during topping. It is the first de-suckering product in the Philippines to utilize natural-based fatty alcohol to provide the most effective sucker controlling action.

What is the active component of ART-78?

ART-78 contains Decanol, a biodegradable and low-toxicity compound derived from coconut oil that provides “contact-kill” action that dries up sucker buds up to 2cm-long upon contact and prevents any suckers from growing in the leaf axils. When applied as directed, ART-78 will not leave any detectable residue on dried tobacco leaves.


How effective is ART-78?

A single application of ART-78, done within 24 hours after topping at the recommended dosage, prevents the growth of suckers and kills all suckers less than 2cm in length. Actual field tests done in 3 tobacco-farming locations in the Philippines show that ART-78 effectively inhibits sucker growth, thus enhancing the yield of good-quality (high-nicotine) tobacco leaves. ART-78 does not affect primary leaves, but only newly-formed sucker buds.

What are the advantages of ART-78 ?

• Eco-friendly - biodegradable and made from natural coconut oil. Has lower toxicity compared to butralin-based de-suckering products.

• Contains no toxicant - sucker-controlling action is achieved by physically drying-up tender sucker tissue without chemically "poisoning" the plant cells.

• Does not stain hands and has no harsh odor - very convenient to handle and use.

• Locally available - manufactured and distributed by the biggest
oleochemical company in the Philippines .

• Effective - ART-78 has been proven to be as effective as the commonly-used butralin-based de-suckering agent.

Product Launching

On August 17, 2007 , ART-78 was formally introduced in the Philippines in a product-launching event held at the Oasis Hotel in the northern province of La Union . The event was attended by prospective customers (tobacco manufacturers, traders, leaf buyers, and farmers) and representatives from the National Tobacco Authority, who had already been our partner and supporter in this project. PKI top executives (President & CEO Yoshinari Umehara , Vice President & CFO Erotido Valdez , and AVP for Marketing and Sales Benny Ray Hurtado ) also graced the event.

 
The highlight of the program was the product presentation which was followed by a question and answer session.

The Future for ART-78

Conservatively, for Tobacco Year 2008, PKI will be targeting an initial volume of around 5,000 liters just to jump-start the project and supply ART-78 to the local market.  Subsequently, the northeastern regions of Luzon will be developed. Plans have also been drawn-up to introduce and tap the international tobacco leaf market such as Thailand , Vietnam , Indonesia and India  starting 2008 .