Asia Pacific Drove a Wave of Crop Protection Innovation in 2025
14 January 2026 During AgbioInvestor’s webinar “2026 Crop Protection Market Outlook,” Derek Oliphant, Founding Partner and Senior Crop Protection Analyst at AgbioInvestor and a member of the AgriBusiness Global Advisory Board, reviewed how Asia Pacific emerged as one of the most active regions for crop protection launches in 2025. The region saw a high concentration of new products across insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and seed treatments, reflecting both its agronomic importance and persistent pressure from pests, weeds, and diseases. Rice remained the dominant crop focus, while cereals, maize, and selected specialty segments also attracted significant innovation.
India stood out as a central hub for 2025 launches, particularly in rice. BASF marked a global milestone with the launch of Valexio (fenmezoditiaz), the first commercial product based on fenmezoditiaz worldwide. Designed to control brown planthopper and white-backed planthopper, Valexio addressed two of the most destructive insect pests in Asian rice systems and underscored continued investment in differentiated insecticide modes of action.
Herbicide innovation for rice was equally pronounced in India. Insecticides India, in collaboration with Nissan Chemical of Japan, launched Altair (metazosulfuron) for pre-emergent weed control. Dhanuka Agritech followed with Dinkar (ipfencarbazone), in-licensed from Hokko Chemical, offering selective pre-emergent control in transplanted rice. Additional launches included Pyankor (pyribenzoxim) from Biostadt, developed with LG Chem Life Sciences, and Riceact (triafamone/ethoxysulfuron) from Crystal Crop Protection. Collectively, these introductions reflected ongoing challenges with weed resistance and the need for improved selectivity in intensive rice production.
BASF further expanded its rice herbicide footprint across Southeast Asia. In 2025, the company launched Triplex (profoxydim) as a post-emergent herbicide in the Philippines and introduced Luxinum (cinmethylin) in Indonesia. Luxinum targeted hard-to-manage grass weeds and highlighted renewed interest in established active ingredients deployed strategically to address resistance issues in rice systems.
Fungicide activity across Asia Pacific spanned both staple crops and higher-value uses. BASF launched Mibelya (mefentrifluconazole/fluxapyroxad) in India for rice, strengthening its position in one of the world’s most important fungicide markets. In Japan, Kumiai Chemical introduced Regard (fluxapyroxad) for paddy rice. BASF also broadened its reach beyond agriculture with the launch of Pure Star (metyltetraprole) for anthracnose control on golf turf in Japan.
Several fungicide launches demonstrated diversification beyond rice. Mitsui Chemicals advanced quinofumelin for rice disease control, including rice blast, brown leaf spot, and false smut, while also positioning the active ingredient for fruit and vegetable crops such as pome and stone fruit. In India, Bayer launched Felujit (penflufen/tebuconazole) for rice, while Corteva introduced Zorvec Entecta (amisulbrom/oxathiapiprolin) to control downy mildew in vines and late blight in potatoes, highlighting continued investment in premium fungicide technologies.
Insecticide innovation extended across South and Southeast Asia. BASF launched Efficon (dimpropyridaz) in Indonesia, representing the first dimpropyridaz-based insecticide introduced in Southeast Asia. Syngenta expanded its rice insecticide portfolio with Incipio (isocycloseram) in Pakistan, targeting leaf folder and stem borers. In India, Insecticides India, in collaboration with Corteva, launched Sparcle (triflumezopyrim), a broad-spectrum insecticide for brown planthopper control, reinforcing the importance of hopper management in Asian rice production.
Cereal crop protection also gained momentum in 2025. In Australia, Syngenta secured registration and commercialized Victrato (cyclobutrifluram) as a seed treatment for wheat and barley, providing control of fusarium crown rot. The launch underscored the growing role of seed-applied technologies in managing soil-borne diseases and protecting yield potential from early growth stages.
Maize represented another area of expanding innovation, particularly in India. UPL launched Brucia (tolpyralate), while Godrej Agrovet introduced Ashitaka (tolpyralate), developed in collaboration with ISK of Japan. Both products targeted broadleaf and grass weeds, reflecting maize’s increasing importance in Indian cropping systems.
According to Oliphant, the breadth of launches across Asia Pacific in 2025 demonstrated how crop protection innovation in the region is increasingly shaped by local agronomic needs, resistance pressures, and strategic partnerships between global and regional players. As the industry looks ahead, Asia Pacific’s 2025 activity reinforced its role as a critical engine of growth and innovation in the global crop protection market.
Information provided with permission from AgbioInvestor.
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