San Ramon, California, USA
January 21, 2024

Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. and Valent U.S.A. LLC have signed an exclusive agreement to jointly develop Effeeda® for rice in the United States, bringing new technology to manage problematic and resistant weeds affecting rice producers. This partnership builds upon the longstanding relationship between Kumiai and Valent to drive innovation in crop protection, and advances the tools available to growers to maximize crop health and on-farm sustainability efforts. 

"Kumiai and Valent have been long-standing partners and we are very pleased to be able to jointly develop our novel active ingredient in the United States," said Masaru Yokoyama, President and Representative Director, Kumiai Chemical. "This initiative is part of our ongoing overseas development of Effeeda®, and we plan to further expand its presence in the future."

Effeeda®, the trademark name for Fenquinotrione, is a novel active ingredient and triketone herbicide with HPPD inhibitor mechanism of action discovered by Kumiai. It is a herbicide effective against a broad range of problematic weeds in water seeded rice and dry seeded rice, including ALS inhibitor herbicide resistant weeds and difficult-to-control broadleaf weeds. In laboratory and field trials, Effeeda® has shown outstanding fit for resistance management strategies in rice herbicide programs.

"We are pleased to extend our partnership with Kumiai to enhance the trusted portfolio of rice herbicides we provide to our customers with this next generation of innovation," said Matt Plitt, president and CEO of Valent U.S.A. "We are steadfast in our commitment to sustainability and the future of food production, and this collaboration marks a key step forward as we expand on the solutions to complement our current herbicide portfolio, including Regiment® and Bolero®."

Valent and Kumiai will collaborate on additional research and regulatory reviews throughout the registration process and look forward to bringing products featuring Effeeda® to U.S. rice producers. For more information about Valent’s commitment to innovation and rice portfolio, visit valent.com.

About Kumiai Chemical
Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. is a research and development-oriented chemical company that contributes to the realization of a sustainable society by developing and providing innovative agricultural production technologies, mainly crop protection products that can support agricultural production around the world, as well as a variety of fine chemical products that enrich daily life of people.

About Valent U.S.A.
Valent U.S.A. LLC, headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical, Ltd., of Tokyo, Japan.  Valent develops and markets products in the United States, Canada and Mexico that advance sustainable agriculture, protect crops, enhance crop yields, improve food quality, beautify the environment and safeguard public health. Valent products include a well-known line of quality herbicide, insecticide, fungicide and plant growth regulator products for agricultural, seed protection and professional use. Valent is a leader in marketing and sales of both traditional chemical products and biorational products developed by its affiliate, Valent BioSciences LLC. For more information about Valent or our full product line, please call 800-6-VALENT (682-5368) or visit valent.com.

Website: http://www.valent.com

Published: January 23, 2025