China approves NanTong Jiahe Chemical's picolinafen technical

Chinese company NanTong Jiahe Chemical‘s 97% picolinafen technical has been approved for temporary registration (for export only) from Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals, Ministry of Agriculture (ICAMA). As per Chinese registration watch, NanTong Jiahe Chemical is the first company approved for picolinafen technical in China.
 
Picolinafen inhibits the function of phytoene desaturase. After rapidly absorbing through plant leaves, the active ingredient blocks carotenoid biosynthesis and causes whitening of leaves of susceptible weeds. Picolinafen is mainly used as a post-emergence herbicide to control broad-leaved weeds in cereals. It is used in mixture with other cereal herbicides such as pendimethalin, isoproturon or MCPA, to achieve broad-spectrum weed control.


Picolinafen was discovered by Shell International Research, and then Acquired by American Cyanamid Company (now BASF). BASF first introduced the product in 2001 and received German and Australia registration the same year.

Picolinafen was launched as PicoPro and Celtic in U.K and France in a mixture with pendimethalin. In 2005, the product received full registration in Canada where it is sold in mixtures with 2,4-D and imazamethabenz. The Annex 1 new product listing in the E.U of picolinafen has been extended to 2015.

The development of weed resistance to sulfonylureas and isoproturon facilitated the sales of picolinafen. The global sales of picolinafen in 2012 was less than $ 10 million.