Syngenta Japan to promote seed-treatment insecticide thiomethoxam

Syngenta Japan aims to spread nationwide the application of its Swiss parent Syngenta AG’s Cruiser seed-treatment insecticide, whose active ingredient is thiomethoxam and which it has so far been promoting in the northern island of Hokkaido. In a related development it intends to introduce a second-generation formulation of Cruiser with fungicide added to thiomethoxam for comprehensive seed treatment.

Even though the practice of seed treatment is widespread in other parts of the world as it can reduce the number of pesticide applications and save labor, it has been limited in Japan. Syngenta Japan plans to develop and offer seed treatment formulations tailored to the requirements of Japanese agriculture by making the most of the technologies of Syngenta AG, which is a world leader in seed-treatment solutions.

It is anticipating increased domestic need for soybean seed treatment, as the soybean plant can be cultivated in small fields and the Japanese government has been encouraging farmers to grow different crops to maximize utilization of their fields. Sygenta AG has had satisfactory results marketing Cruiser to soybean growers.

Syngenta AG absorbed Syngenta Seeds, its seed-sales group company, on July 1 to accelerate its development and marketing of seed-treatment chemical. Its seed-treatment agents’ global sales stood at $ 821mn in 2009 and have been rising.