Active ingredient: thiram
Contact fungicide against damping off diseases

Co-distributor: Bayer CropScience Deutschland GmbH

• Technical concentrate in powder form
• Yellowish, dispersible in water
• For use in specific encrustation processes
• Active ingredient with repellent effect on birds and rodents

You will still find information in our documentation about our thiram-based coatings, but they are currently not approved for use. An EU decision led to the current stop for our approvals. In February this year, the action by the active substance manufacturer against this decision was decided against at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. There will therefore be no come-back for this substance or plant-protection products containing thiram unless a new action leads to a positive decision. Neither the restriction of content per hectare when treating seeds (max. 20G/ha!!) nor the latest studies on groundwater contamination were accepted as a compromise. Additional studies presented at a later point during the evaluation process to evidence safe use for seed treatment were not taken into account by the commission.

The loss of thiram/TMTD now shows how important this active substance is for the seed sector.

• Thiram is an extraordinarily and widely effective fungicide against earth and seed-borne pathogens.
• As a non-systemic fungicide, thiram protects the effects of system fungicides when in combination, preventing the formation of resistances.
• It maintains and promotes seed germination, particularly if seeds need to be stored.
• Thiram is also a repellent as proven in numerous approval tests.. Thiram not only protects seeds against being eaten, it also protects birds and mammals from eating seeds treated with other substances.

To understand the value of this multi-talent, it helps to take a look at the history of thiram outside of plant protection. It has been used:

• As an excellent UV blocker in sunscreens.
• Against scabies as it has an effect on ectoparasites. This, together with the bactericide effect, means it has also been used in soaps.
• In therapy for alcoholics, but then replaced by the similar substance TETD (tetraethylthiuram disulphide). Latest studies on the latter now show an effect against certain types of cancer.
• As a vulcanisation accelerator in the rubber industry.

Back in hospitals??

Thiram/tetramethylthiuram disulphide/TMTD and Disulfiram/tetraethylthiuram disulhphide/TETD are classified in various studies as antibacterial products against multi-resistant hospital germs such as Staphylococcus aureus strains. Work is currently under way to introduce a combination therapy with disulfiram.

Why are radical decisions so short-sighted?

After seeing the effects of the Russian war on the Ukraine regarding agriculture in Europe, and globally, it is hoped that well-known substances will again be considered and evaluated to see if their benefits under specific conditions are still greater than any eventual damage, particularly when they are used as seed coatings – if applied precisely using extremely low quantities.

The EU approval for the active ingredient Thiram (98% in our TMTD 98% Satec^®) was not extended by the European Commission in October 2018. Even waiving the spraying application did not lead to a positive result. This was a hotly disputed decision. The specialist bodies could not reach a positive or negative decision with an appropriately qualified majority.

It therefore became a Commission decision with far-reaching consequences for agriculture and horticulture. Consequences that may become even more serious when considering the uncertain future of other active ingredients/supposed alternatives.

Products containing Thiram have proven themselves worldwide as broad-spectrum fungicides:

• Direct fungicidal effect against numerous harmful fungi, not just against classic damping off diseases.
• Prevents resistance formation as a non-systemic fungicide and therefore safeguards the effectiveness of systemic mixing partners.
• Thiram, on a global scale, is used as a repellent to protect birds and rodents. Not only is the relevant object protected (seeds, trees), other living creatures, such as birds, are protected against contamination from coating agents that do not have a repellent effect.

The loss of Thiram leaves a huge gap in the fight against disease using coatings – a treatment that, from our viewpoint, is still one of the most effective pesticide applications as it is targeted and only requires small quantities per hectare.

The active ingredient manufacturer has challenged this Commission decision in Brussels, due to their deep conviction that they have again renewed their application for approval of a safe, effective and actually essential active ingredient. We are awaiting the court decision with interest.

We consider our DMM product only in combination with TMTD 98% Satec^®.
An EU decision on the active ingredient dimethomorph is also expected in the near future.

Despite the strong lobbying of the seed industry on EU and national level, the European Commission imposed their proposals for the non-extension of the authorisations of thiram:

Please read HERE EU Regulation (2018/1500)

At SATEC’s request the authorisation for TMTD 98% SATEC has been withdrawn on January 30, 2019.
This means: seed can be treated and treated seed can be sold and sown until including January 30, 2020.

Austria as well has withdrawn the below mentioned registration on January 30, 2019.

Producer of the active as well as SATEC as registration holder of TMTD 98% SATEC will not stop fighting for the preservation and re-registration of thiram.

Use areas and requirements (status as at May 2018)

The following additional information applies to all of the crops listed above:

UG = under glass/glasshouse

The following additional information applies to all minor used crops listed above: