The substances in a crop protection product which act against a particular pathogen/adversary.

Substances which give certain chemical and physical characteristics to a crop protection product, such as enhanced water solubility, which allow it to be sprayed on plants as a suspension, emulsion or solution. Additives are also used to stabilise active agents in order to prolong their action. The main types include wetting agents, emulsifiers, suspension stabilisers and sticking agents.

Technologies which use living organisms (bacteria, yeasts, plant and animal cells, etc.) or their components with the aim of inserting genes into plants in order to develop new products or processes. These include “traditional” biotechnologies, based on micro-organism fermentation, as well as “innovative” biotechnologies, based on genetic engineering techniques.

One of the oldest and most widespread copper-based crop protection products, named for the French region in which it was developed. It is a chemical mixture of calcium and copper compounds. A variety of final products may be obtained from it by altering the properties of the materials used and the reaction conditions.

Mixtures or solutions which are used as crop protection products and are composed of two or more substances, at least one of which is an active agent.

Copper-based crop protection product. The copper particles and the chemical structure make the product more effective and quick-acting.

The most commonly used copper-based crop protection product. Its molecule contains copper, oxygen and chlorine atoms.

Family of fungal pathogens that are capable of destroying entire crop harvests if not controlled.

The discipline of science which studies a chemical substance's impact on ecosystems.

A biotechnological process used to produce various products (such as alcohols, acids, dairy products, etc.) which make use of yeast, fungi and bacteria action.

See “Compounds”.

The various multidisciplinary techniques used to isolate, analyse and modify the genetic traits of an organism or of an individual.

Acronym for Genetically Modified Organism. An organism whose traits have been modified using recombinant DNA techniques.

Substances having a diluting effect on the active agent and which improve a crop protection product performance in the field.

Microscopic invertebrate parasites less than 1 mm in length which generally live in the soil. They damage plants either by attacking roots or acting as virus carriers.

Biotic agent such as a fungus, bacterium or virus which causes diseases in plants.

A plant or animal capable of harming plants.

The active agents or compounds containing one or more active agents which are used to:
protect plants or plant-derived products from harmful organisms; affect plant biological processes without acting as fertilizers (e.g., growth factors); preserve plant-derived products, provided such substances or products are not subject to special regulations regarding preservatives; eliminate undesired plants (i.e., weeds); and eliminate parts of plants, or retard or prevent their growth.

Authorisation required to sell a crop protection product, issued by national authorities (in Italy, generally the Ministry of Health) after an evaluation process.

Branch of science studying the effects of a product on living organisms, usually on mammals.