Bayer CropScience has been granted regulatory approval for its active ingredient isotianil in Japan. The new rice fungicide – marketed by Bayer CropScience under the brand name Routine® – was successfully launched in South Korea in 2010. The market launch in Japan is scheduled for 2011, with further major rice-growing countries in Asia to follow as a measure to strengthen the company’s portfolio in this region.
Isotianil was jointly developed with the Japanese company Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. specifically for use in rice-growing in Japan to combat the plant disease rice blast. It stimulates the natural defense mechanisms of rice plants, thus boosting their resistance.