BASF introduces Efficon insecticide in Brazil

BASF revealed to AgroPages that it is preparing to launch a commercial insecticide in 2025, which should significantly expand its presence in this segment of the Brazilian market. 

The new solution, Efficon, will primarily target corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) and whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), pests that have been causing millions in losses to corn, cotton, and soybean crops in recent years.

The registration of the formulated product containing the new active ingredient Axalion^® (Dimpropyridaz) was approved in December 2024. The company is launching the molecule globally. In Latin America, the Brazilian market will be the first to receive the tool, which will be launched for corn crops this year.

The new insecticide's control focus is on vector insects and disease transmitters, which are considered the biggest problems in current Brazilian agriculture. Until now, there have been no practical control tools. Productivity losses in corn caused by leafhoppers in areas with high pest incidence can be above 70%, according to research from Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation).

The new solution has also received registration for other horticultural crops (citrus, melon, potato, tomato, and onion, among others). For other crops, the commercial launch should occur in the coming years.

Toxicological Evaluation

Brazil's Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) approved the toxicological evaluation of the dimpropyridaz insecticide back in 2023. The active ingredient is the basis of Efficon, which has now received authorization for commercial sale in Brazil after registration issuance by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Pyridazine pyrazolecarboxamides (PPCs) are a new class of insecticides discovered and optimized at BASF. Dimpropyridaz is the first PPC to be submitted for registration and controls many species of aphids, whitefly, and other insects.

As observed in the literature, picolinic thioamide, the original "hit" active only in aphids, was the starting point for a synthesis program that yielded PPCs with an expanded spectrum, including whiteflies and other piercing-sucking insects. This led to the selection of dimpropyridaz for commercialization.

According to company scientists, PPCs are a new class of chordotonal organ modulators with a mode of action different from IRAC groups 9 and 29. PPCs containing a secondary amide ligand are significantly more active than their corresponding tertiary amide versions in ex vivo assays.

Stretch activation of chordotonal organs involves mechanotransduction and amplification processes, with Ca2+ influx through Nan-Iav TRPV channels leading to action potential generation.

Dimpropyridaz acts independently of flonicamid's target, decreasing calcium levels in chordotonal organs and thus disrupting chordotonal organ function. Inhibition occurs at a site upstream of TRPVs and is TRPV-independent, providing a new mode of action for resistance management.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)