How Pest Control Products Are Designed to Weather Climate Change

Temperatures have been breaking records worldwide, creating conditions that can wreak havoc on pest control active ingredients. Abnormally hot weather can hamper product performance when you need it most. King Nelson, Ph.D. and chemist on the Formulation Development team at Syngenta, works to ensure products like Advion brand insecticides, Archer, Demand CS, Talon-G and Talon Weatherblok XT are designed to withstand it.

“We always consider how a formulation will perform in warm temperatures, because we know they’ll be exposed to temperature extremes,” he says. “Some products are stored in warehouses that aren’t air conditioned, for instance.”

Lately, he says, he's conducted more tests for extreme heat than extreme cold.

Nelson carries out multiple heat tests, using special 12 x 12 ft. walk-in ovens that can simulate and far exceed searing heatwaves to answer the burning question: can Syngenta products withstand the heat?

“We also have a collection of ovens that look like small refrigerators,” he says. “Some are set to change temperature over time on a cycle from low to high.?Some mimic seasonal temperatures and others are set to stress the samples at very high temperatures.”

The bottom line, according to Nelson, is that if a customer asks whether a Syngenta pest control product can handle exposure to extreme heat, the answer is a confident yes. By the time a new formulation hits the market, Nelson has already put it through various stressful testing conditions, including those Mother Nature may dish out.

Follow along to hear more about Nelson’s testing process. In the meantime, explore the tried-and-true products he has worked on by clicking below:

? 2022 Syngenta

?[RSU1]Chris:?we only need a copyright statement in the Legal section as we are not referring to any specific PPM products here.