BASF Kixor herbicide technology receives EPA approval

Date:09-16-2009

 BASF announced today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration of a new active ingredient, Kixor® herbicide, for use on a wide range of crops and effective on more than 70 broadleaf weeds. Starting this fall, four formulations Powered by Kixor herbicide -- Sharpen™ herbicide, OpTill™ herbicide, Integrity™ herbicide and Treevix™ herbicide -- will be available to help growers tackle todays broadleaf weed control challenges in their fields.

"Kixor is a new herbicide technology specifically designed to address pressing weed concerns of today and tomorrow," said Nevin McDougall, Group Vice President of BASF North America Crop Protection. "At a time when few new herbicides are being brought to market, BASF has remained steadfast in our commitment to bringing new solutions to growers to help them manage their fields and realize a higher return on the acre. The result is a breakthrough herbicide technology that gives growers a powerful tool in the fight against glyphosate resistance."

Kixors unique chemistry is specifically designed to solve growers toughest broadleaf weed control challenges across a wide range of crops. It inhibits a key step in chlorophyll biosynthesis, called protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (PPO), resulting in fast, effective control of broadleaf weeds.

"From our discovery of the Kixor molecule to the delivery of the Kixor family of products to market, BASF is invested in providing new solutions to help growers meet increasing global demands and get the most out of every acre," said Paul Rea, Director of BASF U.S. Crop Business.

About Kixor herbicide technology

The Kixor discovery team started with a class of chemistry called the benzoisothiazoles, potent herbicides but with only soil activity and little crop selectivity. Opening the isothiazole ring and optimizing the resulting side chain was key to creating this new breed of PPO inhibitor that possesses high levels of soil and foliar activity on a broad spectrum of broadleaf weeds and tolerance across a wide range of crops.

• Kixor is the only herbicide technology in the pyrimidinedione class of chemistry that will be available in the North American market

• Kixor is labeled for use on a wide range of crops, including corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, cereals, cotton, pulses, sunflower (desiccation), citrus, pome fruit and nut trees and for fallow and post-harvest use

• Kixor provides broad-spectrum control on more than 70 tough broadleaf weeds, including those that have become more tolerant of glyphosate, such as common lambsquarters, marestail, Russian thistle, waterhemp, common ragweed and giant ragweed

• Kixor has shown in approximately 1,700 field trials to deliver superior burndown and soil residual activity during 10 years of research and development

"Time and time again during our field trials, Kixor demonstrated a unique ability to give growers the rapid burndown and residual qualities they need to eliminate weed competition, grow healthy crops and improve yield," said Dan Westberg, Ph.D., Technical Market Manager, BASF.