BASF gets EPA approval for new herbicide

BASF gets EPA approval for herbicide designed to tackle resistant broadleaf weeds

• By Sandy Shore, AP Energy Writer
• On 2:14 pm EDT, Tuesday September 15, 2009

DENVER (AP) -- German chemical company BASF SE said Tuesday it has received U.S. approval to begin marketing a new herbicide to battle weeds resistant to a chemical in commonly used herbicides like Roundup.

The Environmental Protection Agency registered the herbicide, called Kixor, for use on crops ranging from corn to nut trees.

BASF will begin marketing four products with Kixor this fall for the 2010 growing season, pending state approval.

The company expects sales to reach about $200 million by 2012, which would be a "very nice boost" to BASF's North American business, said Nevin McDougall, vice president for BASF North American's crop protection group.

Kixor is designed to tackle weeds that have developed a resistance to glyphosate, a chemical that Monsanto Co. first patented and used in Roundup.

The herbicide works by inhibiting a key enzyme in a weed's growth process, and can be used with glyphosate herbicides or as a standalone product, McDougall said. It controls more than 70 broadleaf weeds such as Russian thistle, common lambsquarters and marestail.

Kixor is being introduced as St. Louis-based Monsanto faces stiff competition from generic glyphosate herbicides that began to appear after the patent expired.

The glyphosate in Roundup products is a cornerstone of weed management programs, Monsanto spokeswoman Kelli Powers said.

"The recommendations we provide often include the use of other chemistries and cultural practices, like rotation, where appropriate," she said in an e-mailed statement.

The Kixor herbicide has been approved in Nicaragua for use on peanuts and in Argentina for use on soybeans and corn.

It will be manufactured at the BASF plant in Hannibal, Mo., for worldwide distribution.

McDougall said they are still finalizing pricing for the products as they await state approvals, which are expected to take at least a month.

Buzz up!