OSR growers gain new residual herbicide option
© Tim Scrivener Oilseed rape growers have a new residual herbicide option, offering control of both grassweeds and broad-leaved weeds.
The Chemicals Regulation Division at the HSE has approved Koban, which contains 600g/litre of the active ingredient pethoxamid as an emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulation.
This is the first herbicide containing this active for farmers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
See also: How new herbicide is helping tackle Italian ryegrass
Pethoxamid becomes FMC’s third new herbicide active ingredient introduced to the GB market, following the launch of Fundatis in 2025 which contains the two new actives (bixlozone + beflubutamid).
Primarily used as a partner in residual herbicide mixtures, pethoxamid belongs to the long-established HRAC Group 15.
This group also includes familiar herbicides such as flufenacet and metazachlor, which are widely used across arable cropping systems.
The company says pethoxamid demonstrates activity across a range of both grass and broad-leaved weed species with reliable residual activity and will stand as a key active and mode of action for future resistance management strategies.
The initial approval of pethoxamid is focused on oilseed rape, however, FMC UK and IE marketing lead Geoffrey Bastard says the active ingredient’s broad crop safety profile opens the door to wider use in the future.
He adds that they are actively exploring opportunities to extend its application into other crops, including cereals, where it has shown particularly good performance when used alongside Fundatis.
“This approval demonstrates the depth and opportunities in FMC’s product pipeline across multiple crop sectors and highlights our commitment to providing innovative solutions to farmers to tackle key weed challenges on-farm.”
