Speciality Chemicals Magazine MAY / JUN 2022 | Page 43

AGROCHEMICALS of other nicotinamides , as well as other sucking pest insecticides . Imidacloprid producers using or producing the key intermediate 2-chloro-5-chloromethylpyridine ( CCMP ) could use AgbioChem to identify other AIs using CCMP or requiring similar chlorination technology . In addition , the database also details the other technologies necessary to produce acetamiprid .
Bispyribac-sodium
The pyrimidinyl ( thio ) benzoate rice herbicide bispyribac-sodium was developed by Kumiai and Ihara , and was introduced in 1997 . The product is used post-emergence for the control of a range of grass and sedge weeds , as well as some broadleaved weeds . China and India are two of the leading rice herbicide markets globally , but a large part of these markets is still based on older , highrate technologies , such as butachlor and pretilachlor . Bispyribac is active at around only 0.03 kgai / ha , significantly lower than the average rate of application of older products , typically 0.5-1.0 kgai / ha , and has usage benefits for growers , including lower handling volumes .
The Chinese government has put in place measures to significantly reduce pesticide volumes as part of a drive for greater efficiency of production and to meet sustainability goals , to the benefit of bispyribac . The AI represents an efficient low-rate rice weed control option and can be recommended by extensionists as an alternative to older high rate products . Indeed , whilst treated areas for butachlor have declined by an average of some 6 % per annum over the period between 2015 and 2020 in China , bispyribac-treated areas have increased fivefold , partly as a result of the volume reduction targets outlined above . Also aiding this has been a significant increase in the number of companies offering the product in the market , with the AI having come off-patent in the early 2010s , and a number of Chinese and Indian manufacturers now active in the AI , increasing market reach . Figure 5 shows the synthesis and technologies ( chlorination , thiochemistry , oxidation , ether formation ) required to produce bispyribac . In addition to this , AgbioChem outlines additional AIs using these technologies and also enables the identification of other low volume-high value AIs .
Outlook
As outlined in the case studies above , significant growth opportunities remain in the agrochemical market for technology that can be positioned to make the most of the prevalent growth drivers . Although there are clear growth opportunities for newer chemistries , the number of AIs coming to market has remained low until recently compared to the historical rate of introduction , as it has been affected by the costs of R & D for new AIs . This has increased the reliance of the industry overall on fewer AIs and increased the potential for novel mixtures which offer strong efficacy at a relatively lower cost than proprietary actives . Prevailing growth drivers in combination with the need for faster , more cost-efficient agrochemical discovery , notably at the R & D-driven industry majors , has led to a significant increase in the number agrochemical discovery start-up companies . These often utilise novel approaches , such as DNA-encoded libraries or computational approaches , to generate higher quality leads than was possible using traditional approaches . Companies such as Enko Chem in the USA , MoA Technology in the UK , AgPlenus and AgreMatch , both in Israel , are all active in this field and are all clearly positioning themselves to make the most of the need for new technology as outlined in this article . Regardless of the source , any increase in the rate of introduction of new MoAs and chemistries could lead to opportunities throughout the entire chemical supply chain . •
Reference 1 : Y . Yamaji et al ., J . Pestic . Sci . 2016 . 41 ( 3 ), 107 – 112
Figure 5 - Bispyribacsodium synthesis & commercial situation displayed in AgbioChem
Jack Hopper
HEAD OF SALES
AGBIOINVESTOR k + 44 ( 0 ) 131 677 0267 J jack @ agbioinvestor . com j www . agbioinvestor . com
MAY / JUN 2022 SPECCHEMONLINE . COM
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