Bayer's new herbicide Vios™ FX (Thiencarbazone-methyl + Fluroxypyr) is registered by EPA in the United States

Bayer recently announced that its new herbicide Vios™ FX has been approved for registration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Vios™ FX will be a new option in Bayer's extensive grain herbicide portfolio, providing customers with a larger weed management strategy. The product is not yet approved in other states.

Vios™ FX combines the active ingredients Thiencarbazone-methyl + Fluroxypyr to effectively control stubborn weeds, including resistant weeds such as wild oats, foxtail and Cochia. Among them, Thiencarbazone-methyl is excellent for the control of herbaceous weeds such as wild oats and foxtail, combined with the highest dose of Fluroxypyr available on the market to deal with difficult to control broadleaf weeds such as Cochia.

Vios™ FX also offers excellent canning flexibility, allowing growers to further adapt their weed control strategies to meet the challenges they face, while also providing crop rotation flexibility. For example, the addition of 2,4-D, further enhances control of smaller broad-leaved weeds, while the addition of Huskie® herbicides provides a broader spectrum of herbicides to treat larger and more difficult to control weeds.

In addition, Vios™ FX is easy to operate and blend, providing an excellent customer experience by cleaning cans and spray rods directly. Bayer will also offer the new formulation in barrels applied to 320 acres, eliminating the need for mixing before transferring it to a spray can.

Thiencarbazone-methyl is a SCT herbicide, which is an inhibitor of acetyllactate synthase. It has the characteristics of high activity, low dosage, long duration, wide insecticidal spectrum, safety for gramineous crops, and can be mixed with other safety formulations. Thiencarbazone-methyl market space is large, in addition to Bayer company to participate in the development of this product, Bayer only authorized DuPont (now Corteva) to develop Thiencarbazone-methyl in the local market, its European patent EP1200426 and US patent US6964939, both expired on July 4, 2020. The core compound patent CN1158280C applied for in China has also expired in July 2020.

Fluroxypyr has the effect of internal absorption and conduction, and has the typical hormone herbicide reaction. Since its acid structure is relatively unstable in the environment, the form of isooctyl contributes to the stability of the structure, so it often exists in the form of Fluroxypyr-acetate. The domestic production capacity of Fluroxypyr is concentrated in Shandong Luba, Jiangsu Flagchem, Sichuan Lier, etc., and all of them are equipped with intermediate of  PCP production facilities. Its global patent expired in 2013..