Bayer CropScience new fungicide Bixafen registered in the UK

The new cereal fungicide bixafen from Bayer CropScience has been granted its first regulatory approval worldwide in the United Kingdom. The company plans to market bixafen in the United Kingdom in mixtures under the brand names Aviator® 235 Xpro™ and Siltra® Xpro™ and anticipates global annual peak sales potential of about EUR 300 million. The market launch of bixafen in the United Kingdom is scheduled for the 2011 growing season. Further registrations for products based on the new active ingredient are expected in Germany shortly.

bixafen, an active ingredient from the chemical class of pyrazoles, belongs to a new generation of SDH (succinate dehydrogenase) inhibitors. It was developed specifically for foliar application to control important cereal dieases such as septoria leaf blotch (Septoria tritici) in intensive cereal growing regions. The unique combination of bixafen and prothioconazole, further enhanced by a new formulation technology, is the basis for the new Xpro™ product line.

Products based on this innovative technology offer efficient and long-lasting disease control and have positive effects on plant physiology, which in turn increases stress tolerance and boosts grain yields. These products are therefore also extremely suitable for use as a component in resistance management. Bayer CropScience plans to bring a wide range of Xpro™ cereal fungicides to market in Europe from 2011.