New Fungicide To Launch For 2020

By: Willie Vogt

The world of crop fungicides has exploded in the past 13 years. And the market continues to rise as farmers find that crop diseases are the latest yield-robbers in their fields.

In a media event that offered a little tongue-in-cheek mystery, BASF unveiled a new tool that farmers will get access to for the 2020 season. Having a little fun with the idea, media got “redacted” documents for the event that kept the name of the product secret until the launch ahead of Commodity Classic in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 27. The new ingredient is Revysol fungicide, which is a new-generation “azole” fungicide that will join the product family that already includes pyraclostrobin — sold as Headline — and the carboxamide Xemium.

BASF has carved a solid niche in the fungicide market that started with Headline. Matt Bradley shared some history of the product, noting that in 2002, for corn producers, only about 2 million acres were treated with a fungicide. “This was mainly white corn or food-grade corn,” he said. “In the first year of Headline in 2007, that market grew to 8.4 million acres; and in 2018, it was applied to 21.6 million acres of corn.”

The company saw similar growth with Headline and Xemium — sold as Priaxor for soybeans, which has grown to cover 18.8 million acres. But the new product, Revysol, shows the promise of expanding acres further.

“The market for fungicides could grow 150% in the next five years,” he explained. “Revysol is the result of 10 years of research and development.”