FMC announces 3 Bifenthrin insecticides authorized in Brazil

FMC announced to AgroPages that it would sell three more insecticides formulated on bifenthrin authorized in Brazil.

According to the manufacturer, the current insecticide Capture 400 EC will also have three other brands: Bistar 400, Brigade 400, and Talstar 400.

Bifenthrin is a pyrethroid, a synthetic version of the natural pyrethrin toxins found in chrysanthemum flowers (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium).

Bifenthrin's mode of action is classified by Irac (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee) as 3A, functioning by contact or absorption.

According to the FMC, the products act on the central nervous system of insects by interacting with the sodium channels present in the cell membranes of neurons.

These channels are responsible for conducting the nerve impulse, which is fundamental for the activities' coordination.

The pesticide binds to the sodium channels, keeping them open longer than expected.

As a result, the insect's neurons become overstimulated, firing nerve impulses repeatedly.

This leads to excessive excitation of neurons, which causes paralysis and death of the insect.

The molecule was first registered for use by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1985.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)