BASF is adding another tool in farmers’ fight against herbicide-resistant weeds and grasses with Replexor Active, an extension of the ag chemical supplier’s innovation in protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitors, which is expected to hit the market in 2030, pending regulatory approval.
Replexor Active is a broad-spectrum herbicide that works on broadleaf weeds and grasses, product development manager at BASF, told AgNavigator. BASF envisions Replexor Active being used as a pre-emergence weed application, with eventual use alongside herbicide-tolerant crops, Asher explained.
The ag chemical supplier will launch Replexor as “part of an overall weed control strategy incorporating residual herbicides,” he added.
Over 15 years ago, the ag chemical supplier revealed its first PPO inhibitor — the broad-leaf herbicide Kixor Active — and then followed it up with Tirexor Active, Asher noted.
“Replexor Active fills a genuine gap in the PPO space. Growers have had very few new tools for resistant grasses in recent years. Replexor Active addresses that directly and fits into the resistance management programs growers are already building with our PPO portfolio,” said Maximilian Becker, member of the management board of BASF Agricultural Solutions, in a press release.
BASF explores new modes of action, novel compounds
Through its research and development capabilities, BASF evaluated existing PPO inhibitor chemistry and developed fendioxypyracil, the compound behind Replexor. BASF’s global herbicide discovery team in Limburgerhof, Germany is instrumental in identifying novel compounds and advancing herbicide chemistry, Asher pointed out.
BASF is seeking registration for the active chemical in Brazil and Australia first, then following it up in the U.S. and Argentina in 2027. Replexor’s flexibility allows the product to cater to the needs of specific markets, Asher noted.
“For Brazil specifically, grasses are really a main target for them, and so we see this Replexor being a very good tool in that market — not on traditional grasses — but those that have become resistant to other herbicides in the market as well,” Asher elaborated.
