Sumitomo Chemical Launches New Seed Treatment Product in the U.S.

Jul. 16, 2014

Sumitomo Chemical announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Valent U.S.A. Corp. has launched a new crop protection product for seed treatment on soybeans in the United States. The new product, INTEGO^TM SUITE System, contains an ethaboxam fungicide, Sumitomo Chemical’s active ingredient.

In recent years, demand for crop protection products for seed treatment has substantially been expanding mainly in the United States, the world's largest market of the products, amid an ongoing evolution of large-scale farming. Crop protection products for seed treatment, because of seeds being treated with crop protection chemicals, offer the distinct advantage of reducing both frequency and dosage in the application of crop protection chemicals, which will lead to promoting labor saving in farming. The ethaboxam fungicide is not only highly effective against diseases of various crops, such as downy mildew in vegetables and late blight in potatoes, but also capable of being used in a broad array of applications, such as foliar treatment and soil treatment. In seed treatment in particular, ethaboxam excels in delivering outstanding fungicidal performance against Pythium and Phytophthora, and it is noteworthy that the ethaboxam active in seed protection is the first new seed treatment fungicide in 30 years for Pythium and Phytophthora. The INTEGO^TM SUITE System also contains Sumitomo Chemical’s clothianidin insecticide, which makes the product very attractive by providing a superior insecticidal effect as well as a fungicidal performance, ultimately contributing to an increase in crop yields.

Sumitomo Chemical is focusing on the seed treatment business as part of its endeavor toward expanding the business domain of its Health & Crop Sciences Sector, with ethaboxam and clothianidin positioned as the core of its seed treatment product portfolio. In line with this business strategy, Valent U.S.A. obtained the registration of ethaboxam in the United States in March 2014, in addition to clothianidin that had been registered earlier. Outside the U.S., Sumitomo Chemical is propelling its global drive to develop and register its seed treatment products containing ethaboxam and clothianidin, centering on South America, such as Brazil and Argentina, and Asia, such as Vietnam and Indonesia.

About Valent U.S.A. Corp.

Name	Valent U.S.A. Corporation
Location	Walnut Creek, California, the United States
Capital	150 million U.S. dollars
Equity holding	Sumitomo Chemical 100%
President	Andy Lee
Established	April 1988

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