[Product of the Month] Eco-friendly combination product that controlled 91.1% of tobacco whiteflies…ShareGreen’s “SG10”

The tobacco whitefly is known in the field as a pest that does not die even when chemicals are applied. Because it has a short development period and goes through more than a dozen generations in a year, and because greenhouse facilities maintain a minimum nighttime temperature of at least 13℃ for crop management even in winter, it can effectively reproduce year-round. Another factor that makes control difficult is that resistant populations quickly become established on farms that repeatedly spray chemicals from the same class.

Resistance soon leads to problems with the number of applications and costs. When efficacy declines, farmers shorten spraying intervals and increase application volumes. As a result, residue risks as well as the burden of chemical costs·and labor costs rise together. The common practice of separately diluting fungicides and insecticides and spraying them twice also increases costs. For farms targeting exports, the situation is even more urgent, as detection of pesticide residues directly leads to customs rejection.

Agricultural corporation ShareGreen Co., Ltd.(CEO Yoon-kyung Seo) has introduced ‘SG10’, an insecticidal·and fungicidal combination product based on natural plant extracts that targets this problem. The product is listed by the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service as an organic agricultural material for disease and pest management(notification-2-6-128).

The company explains that it works by coating the surface of pests, blocking their spiracles(breathing pores) and suppressing egg-laying. According to the company, because its mode of action differs from that of chemical agents that disrupt the nervous system, it can be used even on populations that have developed resistance to existing chemicals. The company also emphasizes that, because the formulation targets pests and diseases at the same time, it can reduce the number of applications itself.

 

91.1% corrected mortality after 72 hours at 1000-fold dilution

The insecticidal effect was confirmed in an overseas university laboratory test commissioned by ShareGreen. The Department of Plant Protection at Bogor Agricultural University(IPB University) in Indonesia tested SG10’s control effect against tobacco whitefly in its insect physiology·and toxicology laboratory from October to December 2024.

After diluting it 1000-fold(0.1%) and treating both sides of leaves, then examining the nymphs, the corrected mortality rate rose from 60.1% after 24 hours to 87.8% after 48 hours and 91.1% after 72 hours. The test was repeated 5 times using at least 20 nymphs per treatment, and the value was corrected to reflect the natural mortality rate in the untreated control group treated with water only.

 

Melon powdery mildew control value of 71%…test by Chungcheongnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services

The fungicidal effect came from a test by a domestic public research institution. SG According to Yong-seok Choi, an agricultural researcher at Chungcheongnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services who participated in joint research on the series, the plant pathology team at the Chungcheongnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services tested the effect of the SG1 -based substance contained in SG10 on melon leaves vulnerable to powdery mildew in 2022, and the control value was 71%. Researcher Choi said “the disease that is hardest to control is powdery mildew” and added, “the control effect came out very similar to that of pesticides”.

Researcher Choi explained that effects are also being confirmed against downy mildew and tomato leaf mold in addition to powdery mildew. However, notification as an organic agricultural material is a system that verifies a material’s suitability for use, and efficacy itself must be judged based on test results.

 

Seocheon blueberry farmer, used it for 1 year and supplied it to member farms through a subsidy project

Moon-gyu Kim, head of the Seocheon County Blueberry Research Association, who grows blueberries in Seocheon County, Chungcheongnam-do, has been using SG10 since 2025. Growing blueberries on about 2000㎡(600 pyeong) of facility and open-field land, he learned about ShareGreen through an acquaintance while looking for eco-friendly materials. Chairman Kim explained, “Blueberries are eaten fresh, and because seniors eat them and children eat them in school meals, I looked for an eco-friendly product”.

The effect Chairman Kim pointed to was also on powdery mildew. He said, “There are many fungi such as powdery mildew in the facility area, and they are difficult to control with ordinary products” and added, “After using it, powdery mildew incidence dropped markedly, and when I sprayed it as a preventive measure against thrips and aphids, I saw considerable effects”.

After confirming the effect, Chairman Kim proposed to the Seocheon County Agricultural Technology Center that SG10 be supplied to member farms in 2026, and this was reflected in a center project, . The arrangement is that 70% of the project cost is subsidized, 30% is borne by farmers. He is also recommending its use to watermelon·and pepper farms that suffer heavy damage from aphids and thrips.

 

Chungcheongnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services·ShareGreen, 2020joint research since …through SG1 to SG10

The SG series came out of joint research between a public research institution and a company. Researcher Choi believed that research on organic agricultural materials was needed from 2018. Because many companies were importing foreign raw materials, mixing them, and selling them, he judged that research was needed even just to bring order to the market. After reviewing several companies, he began joint research in 2020 with ShareGreen, which has emulsification technology and the capability to import plant-based oils. Researcher Choi emphasized that the focus was on presenting data on what mechanism is involved, which pests it affects, and how effective it is.

The first target was SG1, specialized for aphids. SG1 was listed in January 2023 as an organic agricultural material for insect pest management(notification-2-5-297). What was later developed by specializing it for each target pest was SG10. The material category also broadened from SG1’s insect pest management use to SG10’s disease and pest management use. Researcher Choi explained, “It is also highly effective against scale insects such as mealybugs and against leafhoppers, so its potential applications are quite broad”.

In the same test, SG1 showed a corrected mortality rate at 48 hours, when diluted 500-fold(0.2%), of 100% for cotton aphid, 94.7% for black locust aphid, and 91.0% for green peach aphid.
There is also a patent that became the basis of the SG series. ShareGreen registered in November 2024 the ‘Insecticide composition for agricultural pests and use thereof’ that it had applied for in December 2023(No.10-2737419). The inventors are CEO Seo Yoon-kyung and Researcher Choi. Researcher Choi cited the development of an efficacy enhancer as a key achievement of the joint research.

CEO Seo said, “Most use adjuvants, but we directly make natural plant-based efficacy enhancers and design them to suit the type of pest” and added, “The insects that die vary depending on what role the adjuvant plays, and in Korea there are almost no places working in this field”.

 

Slow-acting formulation, watch for three days

When using it in the field, the speed at which its efficacy appears must be taken into account. Because it is a strongly slow-acting formulation, farmers should not judge it only by the control rate at 24 hours after treatment. It is recommended to observe for at least three days after spraying and then recheck pest density. The company explains that, because plant-based materials are used, there is little concern about phytotoxicity, so it can also be used for home gardening. However, for farms introducing it for the first time, it is safer to conduct a test spray in part of the cultivation facility for each crop before expanding its use.

 

Preparing local registration in Indonesia·and Vietnam

ShareGreen is targeting the Southeast Asian market with this product. In 2024, in June, it signed a memorandum of agreement(MOA) with Bogor Agricultural University for joint research on pesticide development·testing·and evaluation, and also conducted field demonstrations at local farms in Vietnam. CEO Seo said, “For tropical fruits such as durian, residue issues are serious, so there is strong demand for eco-friendly control” and added, “This is why we continue to travel back and forth to Indonesia and Vietnam, and we are preparing local export registration”.