Dormex®: Safety and Responsibility at a Glance
Why we provide this information
Alzchem takes environmental protection and human well-being very seriously. That is why we place the highest priority on the quality of our products, their safe use, and responsible handling throughout the supply chain.
Why Dormex® is used in fruit and nut cultivation
The importance of a balanced diet—and thus the health benefits of consuming fruits and nuts—is well known. While the supply of fruit from non-EU countries to the European market has increased significantly in recent years, particularly for tropical fruits and those in demand year-round, Nevertheless, year-round availability of fruits and nuts—especially in Europe—cannot be taken for granted, simply because global supply is not unlimited. Furthermore, growing high-quality fruits is a demanding process. Crops such as apples or grapes, which grow only under specific climatic conditions, require sufficiently cold winters in particular. The cold helps the plants store the energy needed for budbreak in the spring. If a winter is too mild—which is becoming more likely due to global warming—the plants are weakened. This can lead to uneven budbreak and, ultimately, to a smaller harvest of lower quality.
How to compensate for a lack of cold hours
Scientists worldwide have been studying for decades how the lack of so-called “cold hours” can be compensated for through appropriate measures. A key finding is that “dormant” buds exhibit much more uniform budbreak following proper and precise treatment with cyanamide. This can lead to higher yields while maintaining high fruit quality.
Especially in regions where winter conditions are unpredictable, Dormex®—a well-established formulation of the active ingredient cyanamide—has therefore been a standard practice in fruit growing for decades.
Where Dormex® is used
The milder the winter, the more significant Dormex® can be for growing success. In major fruit-growing and viticultural regions such as California in the U.S., Atacama in Chile, Sonora in Mexico, as well as in New Zealand and South Africa, winters are sometimes not cold enough or provide insufficient cold hours. Dormex® has therefore been tested and approved by the relevant authorities in these and other countries.
In the northern regions of Europe, on the other hand, Dormex® has not played a major role to date, as most fruit-growing areas experience sufficiently long winters, eliminating the need for growth regulators. However, this is not an absolute rule. There is an acute need, for example, in the maritime regions of Southern Europe. In Greece and Portugal, this need is currently met through so-called emergency approvals, as crop failures would otherwise be a concern.
What Dormex® is made of
The active ingredient in Dormex® is cyanamide. Cyanamide is a nitrogen compound that also occurs naturally in plants. Various plants, such as vetches like Vicia villosa or black locusts like Robinia pseudoacacia, produce cyanamide in their leaves. Soil organisms are therefore adapted to break down cyanamide. Its half-life is consequently short: Just one day after applying Dormex®, more than 50 percent of the cyanamide in the soil is converted into various forms of nitrogen, such as urea.
Since cyanamide is also used as a medication, its metabolism in the human body has also been well studied. Cyanamide is completely broken down within 48 hours and excreted in the urine. When used to compensate for a lack of winter cold, cyanamide is applied weeks before budbreak. Specially developed testing methods can confirm in the harvest that no Dormex® residues remain and that the grapes comply with the EU’s strict food safety regulations.
Risks to consider when handling the product
Like many chemicals, cyanamide in concentrated form is not harmless to humans. Therefore, special caution is required when handling the active ingredient, as accidental contact can cause skin irritation, for example. In rare cases, more severe reactions have been reported following prolonged exposure or regular contact. However, cyanamide poses no risk to the environment when the active ingredient is applied properly. On the contrary: Plants treated with Dormex can rapidly break down cyanamide, and in the soil, it is rapidly converted into various forms of nitrogen.
For fruit and nut cultivation, Dormex® has no equivalent alternative in many regions to meet the demand for these crops: As far as we know, other products or techniques cannot compensate for a lack of winter cold in the same way. Alzchem therefore respects each country’s independent decision to approve or not approve Dormex®.A ban on exports of Dormex® to countries where it is properly approved would not revoke the existing approvals for cyanamide in those countries. Cyanamide is currently also supplied to these markets by other providers. Local customers could thus continue to be supplied by alternative suppliers. From Alzchem’s perspective, however, it is not guaranteed that these suppliers offer comparable protective measures.
Product responsibility and safe use
All agricultural chemicals must be used carefully and in accordance with regulations. For Alzchem, the safe use of Dormex® is a top priority—regardless of the country or region to which the product is shipped.
Safety measures begin with the product itself. A bitter agent is specifically added to the Dormex® formulation to prevent accidental ingestion. In addition, the solution is colored with a strong blue dye. This makes it clearly recognizable that it is neither food nor water.
Furthermore, our respective distribution partners conduct regular training sessions and document them. Farmers and users are personally instructed on how to use the product safely. This direct, application-specific training also helps protect people who may not be able to read the safety instructions and application guidelines on the label. In this way, we ensure that the product is used properly.
Together with our distribution partners, we also ensure that farmers have sufficient personal protective equipment available. Furthermore, in markets where such protective equipment is difficult to obtain, Alzchem provides it free of charge to local farmers to support safe application.
Contributing to a reliable supply of fruits and nuts
When used properly, Dormex® can make an important contribution to supplying a growing global population with healthy foods such as fruits and nuts. The product enables their cultivation even in regions where climatic conditions are challenging. For Alzchem, the focus is on safe, reliable, and responsible use, as well as the protection of people and the environment. Alzchem actively assumes responsibility and is committed—beyond regulatory requirements—to ensuring the safe and responsible use of Dormex® locally.
