Pyroxasulfone looks to be the pesticide of the future
Pyroxasulfone is a new herbicide that has been registered for use on major crops including corn and soy. People across the industry are excited for pyroxasulfone because this active ingredient in several new pesticide mixtures could have a big impact on the commercial agricultural community.
This herbicide is a different chemistry class – it is an isoxazoline. This means that pyroxasulfone brings more activity to a broader spectrum of small-seeded plants than other, older chemicals. Although new, pyroxasulfone has been compared to acetamide herbicides such as metolachlor and dimethenamid in the way it works. Pennsylvania State University College of Agricultural Studies examined pyroxasulfone and compared it to other products on the market. It found that farmers would not need to use as much pyroxasulfone on their crops as they did with other pesticides.
"Pyroxasulfone has annual grass activity similar to metolachlor (Dual) and acetochlor (Harness) but also provides good control of several annual broadleaves," Penn State explained. "A major difference is that pyroxasulfone has a higher specific activity which allows active ingredient (ai) rates that are about 8 times lower than Dual or Harness with comparable weed control. The maximum labeled rate for pyroxasulfone is 3 oz ai per acre where s-metolachlor (Dual Magnum) is generally used at 21 to 26 oz ai per acre in our area."
Penn State's research also found that pyroxasulfone binds with clay in the soil which can make it more effective against weeds for longer. The bonding to organic materials in the soil is one of the reasons that farmers are so excited for this product, because it can last throughout much of a season. Over the 10 years that the university conducted research, the chemicals were found to be safe and effective for weed control.
A new pesticide from a new chemistry class
Pyroxasulfone is a VLCFAE inhibitor with the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry label 5-(difluoromethoxy)-1-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazol-4-ylmethyl 4,5-dihydro-5,5-dimethyl-1,2-oxazol-3-yl sulfone. The herbicides Anthem from FMC, Fierce from Valent, and Zidua from BASF are among the products that use pyroxasulfone as a new ingredient. All three have been approved for use on corn, while only Zidua and Fierce are registered for soy. Some products may also be approved for cotton and wheat.
This chemical compound works well against annual grass weeds, lambsquarters, waterhemp, pigweed, ragweed and black nightshade according to The Ohio State University's Crop Observation and Recommendation Network. The new herbicide is not particularly effective against marestail however, which is a major weed in many U.S. farming areas such as Ohio and Indiana.
Chemically written as C12H14F5N3O4S, pyroxasulfone carries a chemical weight of 391.3. This new herbicide has a white crystal structure and has a slight smell, according to Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. It also has a water solubility of 3.49 milligrams per liter at 20 degrees Celsius.
Pyroxasulfone can be toxic to aquatic life and pose risks to human organs with repeated exposure. People should wear proper safety clothing and review the safety data sheet when using the chemical compound in any capacity. Standards testing of pyroxasulfone is important because only such a small amount is needed for even large agricultural applications.
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