FMC has secured formal CRD approval for KOBAN, a new selective herbicide containing 600g/L of pethoxamid, strengthening the company’s pipeline of new weed-control solutions for the Great Britain market.

The approval makes pethoxamid FMC’s third new herbicide active ingredient introduced to GB, following the 2025 launch of Fundatis herbicide, powered by Isoflex active and containing the two new actives bixlozone and beflubutamid.

Pethoxamid is a member of HRAC Group 15 and is primarily designed for use as a partner in residual herbicide mixtures. The group includes established actives such as flufenacet and metazachlor, which are widely used across arable cropping systems.

FMC says pethoxamid offers reliable residual activity against a range of grass and broadleaved weeds, while providing an additional mode of action (MOA) to support resistance management strategies.

The initial approval for KOBAN is focused on oilseed rape. However, FMC says the active ingredient’s broad crop safety profile could pave the way for wider applications, with the company already investigating opportunities in other crops.

Cereal applications are a particular area of interest, with FMC reporting promising performance from pethoxamid when used alongside Fundatis herbicide.

UK and IE Marketing Lead Geoffrey Bastard said, “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.”