Syngenta and Kyoyu Agri partner on innovative rice herbicide

New active ingredient Cyclopyranil effectively controls weeds resistant to common herbicides

Syngenta, the global leader in agricultural innovation, and Kyoyu Agri Co. Ltd, a leading Japanese agrochemical manufacturer, today announced a strategic collaboration to bring high-performance herbicide solutions based on the active ingredient Cyclopyranil, which is a novel active ingredient developed by Kyoyu Agri, to selected rice markets across Asia.

Highly effective even at low application rates, Cyclopyranil is Syngenta’s first herbicide for rice based on the protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting mode of action (Herbicide Group 14). It controls a wide spectrum of broadleaf and grass weeds upon contact – including weeds that have developed resistance to herbicides with different modes of action, such as ACCase and ALS herbicides. Cyclopyranil can act as a pre- or post-emergent herbicide, offering farmers greater flexibility.

Under the agreement, Syngenta will market products based on Cyclopyranil across a number of countries in Asia.

“As herbicide resistance spreads, the effective toolbox of options available to rice farmers is steadily dwindling,” said Ioana Tudor, Syngenta Crop Protection’s Global Head of Marketing. “At Syngenta, we are committed to reversing this trend by delivering the next generation of innovative solutions, and our collaboration with Kyoyu Agri will bring farmers new breakthrough tools to overcome resistance, protect their yields, and ensure a productive future for rice farming.”

“Bringing our proprietary technologies to the global stage is a key milestone for us,” says Masakazu Yamada, President of Kyoyu Agri. “I believe that this innovative herbicide created by Kyoyu Agri, will be made widely available across Asia through Syngenta’s robust distribution network. With this advanced solution, we will focus our efforts on helping rice farmers overcome expanding weed resistance, secure their harvests, and reduce the burden in their daily operations.”

Herbicide-resistant weeds are spreading in rice fields across the world, and researchers have documented more than 190 cases of herbicide-resistant weeds in rice production systems globally. Barnyard grass (Echinocloa crus-galli) is widely considered among the most troublesome, outcompeting rice for vital resources and aggressively absorbing nutrients, while mimicking rice and thwarting early identification and removal efforts.