BASF launches Efficon insecticide into Australia first

BASF has announced Efficon insecticide has been approved for use in vegetables by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and will be available in April.

There are additional launches planned in Asia, Europe, and South America in the coming years.

The product contains Axalion Active which is the ingredient behind other chemicals used for insect control in fruits, vegetables, cotton and beets.

According to BASF, Efficon controls silverleaf and greenhouse whiteflies in cotton, cucurbit, and fruiting vegetable crops; green peach aphids and cabbage aphids in brassica and leafy vegetable crops and cotton (or melon) aphids in cotton and cucurbit crops.

Axalion has no known cross resistance, which makes it effective against pests that have developed resistance to existing chemistries and can no longer be controlled with current market standards.

BASF says Axalion can be used for integrated pest management (IPM), proving compatible with non-target organisms, including beneficial insects, when applied according to label instructions.

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BASF's Agricultural Solutions vice president global strategic marketing insecticides and seed treatment, Stephanie Jensen, said BASF is redefining modern pest control, supporting farmers by helping them protect their hard-earned harvests and legacies.

"Axalion offers farmers a much-needed new and robust tool to safeguard their crops while helping ease the mounting resistance pressure on older products," Ms Jensen said.

"Efficon is a valuable addition to Australian farmers' crop protection rotation, as it provides a superior level of whitefly control, and excellent control of aphids.

"It is effective at multiple stages of the target pests' life cycles, so it quickly inhibits whitefly infestations more effectively than the previous industry standards."

BASF in Australia and New Zealand head of agricultural solutions Gavin Jackson said the systemic properties offer growers a wide window of application timing during multiple growth stages, which allows Efficon to be used in combination with other BASF solutions, such as Versys Insecticide.

"When used together, Efficon and Versys offer unrivaled control of devastating piercing and sucking pests," Mr Jackson said.

In 2021, BASF's Agricultural Solutions division generated sales of more than $12 billion (8.2 billion Euros) including sales of about $640 million (415 million Euros) in Australia and New Zealand.

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