AgroPages-Hailir’s tolfenpyrad technical 98% granted registration; may become an important substitute for methidathion-Agricultural news

On December 3, 2018, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued a list of the latest pesticide products for the grant of registrations, among which tolfenpyrad 98% TC of Hailir Pesticides and Chemicals was granted full registration. Furthermore, tolfenpyrad 15% SC of Hailir Pesticides and Chemicals and the tolfenpyrad.chlorfenapyr 20% SC (chlorfenapyr 10%+tolfenpyrad 10%) of Qingdao KYX Chemical were also granted registration. Both products were registered for the control of cabbage or diamondback moth.

Tolfenpyrad was a novel pyrazole amide insecticide and miticide developed by Mitsubishi Chemical in 1988. The product is now owned by Nihon Nohyaku, being ovicidal, feeding inhibiting and oviposition inhibiting, as well as bactericidal. Its worldwide patent expired in 2008.

Tolfenpyrad has a novel action mechanism, there is no cross resistance. Its main action mechanism lies in the inhibition of the oxidative phosphorylation of insects. It is the oxidative phosphorylation that allows insects to turn ADP into ATP via oxidative metabolism, thus to provide and store energy.

As a novel pyrazole amide insecticide and miticide, tolfenpyrad is of a broad insecticidal spectrum, has contact toxicity and a long-lasting effect, without systemicity. Apart from its special effect on the lepidopterous diamond back moth larvae and thysanoptera thrips, it is also active to control other major crop insect pests and is mainly applied to cash crops such as vegetables, fruit trees, flowers and tea tree.

The global sales of tolfenpyrad in 2011 reached US$25 million, of which Nihon Nohyaku accounted for $20 million or 80%. Its compound annual growth rate from 2011 to 2016 was -4.4%.

There are more than 6,000 scale insect species in the world, while 650 species exist in China. Scale insect is a harmful insect and is strongly resistant to pesticides, as normal pesticides cannot get inside the insect's body, thus causing difficulties in the prevention and control of this kind of insect. Tolfenpyrad has a good insecticidal effect on the scale insect, being expected to become one of the important substitutes for methidathion.