Sumitomo Chemical Obtains Registration for New Herbicide Rapidicil^® in Argentina and Launches Efforts to Turn the Herbicide into a Blockbuster Product That Contributes to Regenerative Agriculture

Jul. 25, 2024

Sumitomo Chemical has obtained registration in Argentina for its new herbicide Rapidicil^® (the trademark for the active ingredient commonly named epyrifenacil) and crop protection products containing Rapidicil^®. This marks the first registration that Rapidicil^® has received.

Rapidicil^® is a proprietary novel herbicide active ingredient developed by Sumitomo Chemical. The Company has positioned Rapidicil^® as a compound that has the greatest market potential among its A2020 pipeline products, new crop protection products under development for which the Company plans to begin the application for registration in the first half of the 2020s. Rapidicil^®, which belongs to a class of herbicides known as PPO^*1 inhibitors, is used for foliar applications and demonstrates excellent weed control at low doses. Compared to existing PPO-inhibitors, it is also fast-acting and highly effective against a wide range of broad-leaved weeds and grass weeds. Due to these advantages, Rapidicil^® is particularly suitable for no-till farming^*2, which is garnering global attention as a regenerative agricultural practice, and is expected to contribute to soil conservation and to carbon neutrality through the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

Argentina is the fourth largest crop protection products market in the world following Brazil^*3, the United States, and China, and is expected to see a continued growth in demand for crop protection products. Sumitomo Chemical plans to begin the sale of Rapidicil^®-based products in Argentina for the 2024 planting season, taking advantage of its integrated business structure in the South American region that covers the full range of operations from research to manufacturing and sales. The Company filed applications for the registration of Rapidicil^®-based herbicides in the United States, Canada, and Brazil in 2021, and the review process is currently underway in each of these countries. Starting with the launch in Argentina, Sumitomo Chemical will expand its portfolio of Rapidicil^®-based products in major markets and step up efforts to make Rapidicil^® a growth driver for the Company’s agricultural solutions business. In addition, under a global collaboration with Bayer AG, Sumitomo Chemical will continue to work to provide agricultural producers with a next-generation weed control system^*4 combined with the PPO-inhibitor tolerant crops currently being developed by Bayer.

Sumitomo Chemical will strive to achieve annual revenue of 100 billion yen from the sale of herbicides for no-till farming including Rapidicil^®.

Sumitomo Chemical will continue to develop innovative crop protection products in order to help reduce environmental impact, advance sustainable agriculture, and contribute to stable food supplies for people around the world.

*1  Protoporphyrinogen oxidase, an enzyme involved in chloroplast biogenesis.
*2   A practice of planting crops without tilling the soil before sowing, leaving dead leaves and cut stalks of the crop on the farmland. In addition to being able to mitigate soil erosion due to wind and rain, it is said to have the effect of increasing the number of organisms and microorganisms in the soil.
*3    As of 2022
*4    A new weed control system following glyphosate, dicamba, and other existing herbicides.

Reference

News release

“Sumitomo Chemical Submits Registration Applications for New Rapidicil^® HerbicideA Potential Blockbuster Product Contributing to Sustainable Agriculture,” April 26, 2022

Contact

Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
Corporate Communications Dept.
https://www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp/english/contact/public/