Syngenta and Japan’s Kyoyu Agri Co. Ltd have announced a strategic collaboration to bring a new rice herbicide, built on the active ingredient Cyclopyranil, to selected rice markets across Asia. Cyclopyranil was developed by Kyoyu Agri and is aimed at weeds that have become resistant to common herbicides.
Syngenta says Cyclopyranil is effective even at low application rates and is its first rice herbicide based on the PPO-inhibiting mode of action (Herbicide Group 14). It controls a wide range of broadleaf and grass weeds on contact, including weeds resistant to herbicides with other modes of action such as ACCase and ALS products. It can be used before or after weeds emerge, which gives farmers more flexibility.
Why the new rice herbicide matters
Herbicide-resistant weeds are spreading in rice fields worldwide, and researchers have documented more than 190 cases in rice production systems. Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) is widely seen as one of the most troublesome, because it competes with rice for nutrients and mimics the crop, which makes early identification and removal harder.
“As herbicide resistance spreads, the effective toolbox of options available to rice farmers is steadily dwindling,” said Ioana Tudor, Syngenta Crop Protection’s Global Head of Marketing. She added that the collaboration will give farmers new tools to overcome resistance and protect their yields.
Masakazu Yamada, President of Kyoyu Agri, said bringing the company’s proprietary technology to the global stage is a key milestone, and that Syngenta’s distribution network will make the herbicide widely available across Asia.
Under the agreement, Syngenta will market products based on Cyclopyranil in a number of Asian countries.
