China’s Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (ICAMA) announced on December 7, 2020, that new pesticide products had been registered, which include Quinotrione (technical 98%) and Quinotrione (SC 10%) and have been manufactured by Liaoning Cynda Agricultural Science Co., Ltd. It was also reported that Quizalofone (SC 10%) has been registered for control of weeds that appear annually in a sorghum field.

Cynda Agricultural Science will become the first Quinotrione registrant in China. Quinotrione is a highly active molecule discovered by Central China Normal University. In 2016, Central China Normal University assigned Quinotrione to Cynda Agricultural Science. Since then, Cynda Agricultural Science started the process of registration and industrialization of the product. The upcoming grant of registration is a big step towards industrialization of the innovative herbicide.

Quinotrione’s chemical name: 3- (2, 6-dimethylphenyl) -6- (2-hydroxy-6- oxocyclohex-1 -ene-1 -carbony1)-1-methylquinazoline- -2, 4(1H, 3H) -dione

Structural formula: 

Quinotrione is a novel benzoyleneurea-containing 4-HPPD herbicide, which can prevent benzenepropanoic acid in plants from conversion into alkapton, thus affecting weed photosynthesis and causing weeds to die of albino.

Quinotrione is Cynda’s proprietary product, and it is also the first time that HPPD inhibitor is being used for the control of dicotyledon and monocotyledon weeds in sorghum fields. The product solves the problem of controlling the worst weeds, such as wild corn millet and speedwell in sorghum field. Quinotrione is highly efficient, with low toxicity and environment-friendly, and very safe for after-reap crops. It will make a good substitute for highly-toxic pesticides in the interests of the ecological environment. 

Cynda Agricultural Science is looking to complete construction of the Quinotrione workshop with a production of 15 tons. It is expected to achieve sales of Yuan10 million, and a profit of Yuan3.6 million, which for a proprietary product makes good economic sense.