FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), a leading agricultural sciences company, obtained a new mode of action classification for its proprietary herbicide molecule, tetflupyrolimet. It is the first active ingredient in the Herbicide Resistance Action Committee (HRAC) and Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) Group 28 and the first new herbicide with a novel mode of action in the crop protection industry in over three decades.
Studies show this new mode of action herbicide provides season-long control of important grass weeds in the rice market, as well as key hard-to-control broadleaf weeds and sedges. As disclosed at its November 2020 Investor Technology Update, FMC plans to start the registration process and expects to launch products containing tetflupyrolimet in the transplanted and direct-seeded rice markets in 2023. The use of tetflupyrolimet is being tested in other crops, including sugarcane, wheat, soybeans and corn.
“In 2010, our research and development organization in Delaware made a strategic decision to focus on discovering new herbicide modes of actions,” said Kathleen Shelton, FMC vice president and chief technology officer. “The organization believed that resistance to herbicides would present a significant challenge for growers in the coming years, and they endeavored to discover a novel mode of action. To achieve this, the research and development team screened over 60,000 compounds, synthesized 1,200 analogs and tested molecules in different crops and weeds around the world. We are proud of the accomplishments of our scientists who bring their passion and creativity for innovation to discover new modes of action, especially in the herbicide area.”
Weed resistance is an increasing challenge for growers around the world, who spend billions of dollars annually trying to control weeds. “It is hard to overstate the significance of the development of tetflupyrolimet, which represents an entirely new class of chemistry and a new mode of action,” said Diane Allemang, FMC vice president and chief marketing officer. “We will be able to provide growers with a critical new tool to rotate into their weed management program and achieve control they cannot achieve today. Additionally, due to its unique mode of action, tetflupyrolimet has no known cross-resistance.”
