Recently, Shangyu Nutrichem Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Shangyu Nutrichem”) received the temporary registration certificate for its 98% isoxaflutole (especially for export) from the Institute for ICAMA. The registration will expire on March 17, 2015. Shangyu Nutrichem thus became the first enterprise in China that has received a registration for isoxaflutole TC.

Isoxaflutole is a herbicide used to destroy broad-spectrum gramineous and broadleaved weeds in corn and sugarcane fields. It is absorbed by plant roots and leaves and is metabolized rapidly in the plants, which produces diketonitrile. Diketonitrile is an HPPD inhibitor and it can indirectly inhibit the biosynthesis of carotenoids and thus wither the plants.

Isoxaflutole was first developed by Aventis. It is now owned by Bayer as one of world’s major herbicides, but Certis has the product marketing right in the Union Economique Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg).

Isoxaflutole was first launched into market as early as in 1996. It has been registered in the EU. It was widely accepted when it was launched in the U.S. market as a herbicide for corn fields and it soon became one of the ten major herbicides for corn fields in the U.S., Argentina and France. In 2006, Bayer authorized DuPont to use the ai as a herbicide product of DuPont’s in the U.S. market. In 2007, Bayer launched isoxaflutole in Britain with the trade name “Cadou Star” which is used to control weeds in forage and grain maize.

In recent years, Bayer has compounded isoxaflutole with other ais to make formulations, which has increased sales. In the U.S. market, it has launched Corvus, a formulation containing isoxaflutole and thiencarbazone. In 2010 and 2012, it launched Adengo containing isoxaflutole and cyprosulfamide that is used to control weeds in maize in Argentina and Italy. In 2011, it launched Merlin Flexx that contains isoxaflutole and safener cyprosulfamide in Italy.

The sales of isoxaflutole is increasing. In 2012, its global sales reached USD 190 million.