India – Piercing and sucking pests pose a significant threat to agricultural crops in India, causing extensive damage amounting to 35 to 40 per cent loss in the productivity and yield of the produce. Farmers in India can now manage this challenge with Efficon, a new BASF insecticide launched on Monday. Efficon is powered by BASF’s new active ingredient, Axalion in a specialised formulation.
“With its unique mode of action, Efficon insecticide is among the first compounds in the market introduced under the new IRAC group 36 which represents a new class of insecticides (Group 36 — pyridazine) which has no known cross-resistance with existing products in the market, making it a superior insecticide resistance management tool,” BASF said.
Efficon insecticide was first launched in Australia in 2023. India is one of the earliest countries in the world to obtain this new novel chemistry that will help farmers manage tough-sucking pests.
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In line with the Asia Pacific strategy, BASF is developing solutions specifically for local market needs. “At BASF, everything we do we do for the love of farming. We are dedicated to listening and working alongside farmers to understand their needs, so that we apply our expertise to help them successfully face the enormous challenge of protecting crops from pests and boosting productivity, supporting the biggest job on earth,” said Simone Barg, Senior Vice President, BASF Agricultural Solutions, Asia Pacific.
“A valuable aspect of Efficon insecticide is its unique mode of action. It is highly effective on multiple life stages of target pests like Aphids, Jassids and White flies. Upon application, Efficon quickly stops insects from feeding and plant injury. It provides long-lasting residual control due to its systemic properties,” the agrochemical company said.
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“Due to its systemic properties, Efficon provides long-lasting residual control even to the new crop growth. “This innovation reaffirms BASF’s commitment to helping farmers across boundaries in managing a variety of existing sucking pests. Efficon will help Indian farmers in effective and long-duration protection against insect pests in a wide variety of crops like cotton and vegetables. Efficon is also highly compatible with non-target organisms and beneficial insects, including pollinators, when applied according to label instructions,” said Giridhar Ranuva, Business Director Agricultural Solutions, BASF India.
Dr. Marko Grozdanovic, Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Marketing, BASF Agricultural Solutions, said, “This milestone with Efficon supports our goal of developing an insecticide portfolio that helps farmers worldwide. BASF is committed to helping Indian industry and agriculture maximise their potential. Indian growers deserve access to advanced solutions to help them achieve better yields by managing resistance with innovations in sucking pests. We are convinced that by providing farmers with effective and sustainable solutions, we can support them to meet the growing demand for food while reducing the impact on the environment.”
