AMVAC ADDS NEW PRODUCTS

Dec 1, 2005 12:00 PM

AMVAC Chemical Corporation, a subsidiary of American Vanguard, has been adding to its growing portfolio of niche crop protection products. Most recently, the company purchased the global phorate insecticide product line of BASF. Phorate, the active ingredient in brand-name products such as Thimet, Granulox and Geomet, was first introduced in 1954. The product is effective against many pests, including corn rootworm.

BASF addressed concerns about phorate applicator safety with its patented Lock 'N Load closed delivery system, which eliminates human exposure to the chemical during handling and application. AMVAC's purchase includes an exclusive license to the Lock 'N Load system, enhancing AMVAC's portfolio of granular insecticides that the company sells in conjunction with its exposure-reducing SmartBox delivery system.

AMVAC also recently announced an exclusive marketing deal with BASF for topramezone, a new broad-spectrum postemergence corn herbicide that will be marketed under the brand name Impact. The chemical, with a mode of action similar to that of Syngenta's Callisto, provides broad-spectrum control of broadleaf weeds with suppression of some grasses, including giant foxtail.