BASF launches new fungicide Revysion^® in Italy

BASF has launched its new fungicide, Revysion^® (mefentrifluconazole), at a technical event, sharing the most relevant data of a research process that began 11 years ago, with an investment of €250 million.

Revysion^® belongs to the historic triazole family, but has substantial differences compared to conventional fungicides. The basis of the new product is the active substance, Revysol^®, a brand name of the new molecule, mefentrifluconazole.
 
The decision to develop a new triazole is due to the need to fill the void left by the numerous revocations and by the drop in efficiency, due to the development of plant resistance against this group of fungicides.
 
Revysol^® is a much more flexible molecule, characterized by good adaptation to the site of action of the fungal enzyme. But above all, it has a favorable regulatory profile, high efficacy and broad spectrum of action.
 
Formulations based on Revysol^® are effective on grapes for controlling powdery mildew and black rot, on apple trees for scab, oidium and alternaria, on pear trees for brown spot, and on stone fruit for powdery mildew and monilia.

 
The new fungicide was launched at the Cantine Rotari in S. Michele all'Adige (Tn), which was opened by Jose Antonio Salinas, BASF's Marketing Director for Italy, who said, ″High efficacy, broad spectrum of action, flexibility of use and crop selectivity, all of these are combined in a single product. We are particularly proud to launch, in the Italian market, a solution with these important characteristics and with a particularly favorable regulatory profile, assessed according to the most recent European regulations.″
 
During the event, the most relevant data of the Revysion^® research process were shared, which considered effectiveness in fungal disease control and compliance with regulatory frameworks. Leading representatives and experts of the Italian fruit sector took part in the event, especially with regards to top fruit and stone fruit.
 
The sales campaign will start in the opening months of 2023. In addition to Revysion^®, Revycare^® is already on the market, which is also based on Revysol^® and formulated for cereal crops. In the coming years, the extended use of products and other formulations based on Revysol^® will be introduced in Italy, which can also be used on many other fruit, industrial and horticultural crops.
 
An ambitious research project

The project is BASF's largest international research and development project, which began 11 years ago with an investment of over €250 million, with 60 countries, 40 crops and 80 plant diseases being involved.
 
After a series of laboratory screenings and subsequent experimental tests with environmental impact assessments, the new active substance was approved by the European Union on February 27, 2019, and its maximum residue limits were defined accordingly. The first formulation was approved for use on cereals in the UK in June 2019, on grapes and fruits in Greece in April 2021, and on potatoes in Austria in July 2021.
 
Revysol^® is currently the only triazole that is fully approved under EU Regulation 1107/2009 until 2029.
 
What is innovative is not only the product, but also the research and development process carried out to develop it. Instead of starting from the evaluation of the efficacy and selectivity of the product, BASF began with the analysis of the regulatory profile, starting from a sample of more than 4,000 molecules. Some 1,200 regulatory studies were carried out and over 8,500 field trials were conducted.
 
In Italy, BASF went on a real tour. It has created collaborations with over 20 test centers and various research institutes and universities and has carried out over 50 tests from 2017 to 2021 in 15 Italian regions. These are tests of efficacy, selectivity, strategy, miscibility and residues on all the crops on the label and on numerous varieties.

A look to the future: a new insecticide

An innovative molecule, Revysol^® will be the basis of other commercial formulations. In particular, BASF is also conducting a series of trials on horticultural crops, olive trees, nuts, citrus fruits, minor crops and sugar beets.
 
Surprisingly, BASF brought forward the release of Axalion™, which is a new insecticide active ingredient for which BASF has begun applying for global registration, and another key innovation project that will enable the further expansion of BASF's plant protection portfolio.
 
Axalion™ can efficiently control various insects, especially whiteflies and aphids.
 
Small-scale previews has been organized for the product, which BASF plans to introduce on the European market in 2026. It will undergo technical positioning tests on the national territory as early as next year.