Nufarm, Sumitomo co-operate to combat glyphosate resistant weeds

Nufarm Limited and Sumitomo Chemical have started the discussions on joint investigation on the possible development and marketing of new herbicide combinations to combat the emerging problem of resistant weeds in genetically modified crops.

The increased use of glyphosate in genetically modified crops is resulting in some weeds developing resistance to glyphosate and reducing its efficacy in controlling those weeds.

Glyphosate-resistant weeds have been reported in soybean and cotton crops, particularly in the United States.

Sumitomo Chemical recently acquired 20% of the ordinary shares of Nufarm and is currently in the process of assessing the best comprehensive business collaboration with the company in terms of R&D, sales and other aspects of the crop protection business. The companies are recently seeking for possible co-operation on a joint study aimed at identifying more effective weed management systems for genetically modified crops, focusing on the problem of glyphosate-resistant weeds in the Americas.

Sumitomo Chemical has proven expertise in developing and positioning herbicides that play an important role in glyphosate resistance management programs. Nufarm has strong positions in several herbicide products that are also important contributors to those programs. 
 
The companies will focus joint efforts on:

1. Developing efficient methods of using Sumitomo’s flumioxazin and Nufarm’s phenoxy-type herbicides with glyphosate and promoting R&D toward the broader commercial use of those methods, given that the two herbicides have proven effective against a wide variety of known glyphosate-resistant weeds with excellent performance already shown for practical use in the United States

2. Strengthening a product line of herbicides for resistance-management, optimized for the Americas through the development of a variety of blend formulations having multiple modes of action

3. Developing a new herbicide that differs in mode of action from existing active ingredients such as flumioxazin by accelerating the assessment of candidate compounds now in Sumitomo’s pipeline that have been identified as effective against a variety of weeds that are difficult to control, including glyphosate-resistant weeds.

Sumitomo Chemical, together with Nufarm, hopes to develop a more effective weed management system for genetically modified crops while also pursuing other collaborative synergies with Nufarm to further strengthen and expand its crop protection business.