Even with crop protection, 20 percent to 40 percent of the world’s food is lost every year to pests. In rice, which is grown both for subsistence and export, these kinds of losses can be economically devastating and can jeopardize food security. By enabling early control of planthoppers, Pyraxalt™ active helps farmers protect vital rice crops in a way that is both sustainable and highly effective. Pyraxalt works at very low use rates compared to other commonly used planthopper insecticides, and it has minimal impact on beneficial insects. With innovative active ingredients like this, farmers can reduce their environmental footprint and grow bigger, better harvests to feed their families, communities and the world.
Our InnovationPyraxalt™ Active
Harvesting Confidence for Rice Farmers
A grain of rice tips the scales at a mere 20 milligrams. Yet each tiny grain carries a tremendous weight, upholding time-honored traditions, proud family legacies and dreams for the future.
Planthoppers are one of the biggest threats to rice that can quickly destroy whole harvests, endangering the season’s success, and a farmer’s long-term economic viability.
Pyraxalt™ active is a highly selective and effective insecticide option for planthopper control in rice. When used early in the season and once economic threshold has been reached, Pyraxalt provides long-lasting, reliable control so farmers can spend less time in the field, while remaining confident their crop is protected from these pests and growing to its full potential.
Transforming Planthopper Control
Planthoppers are extremely efficient in their ability to destroy a rice crop. Multiplying rapidly, they devour the nutrients in green rice, and their feeding can also transmit plant diseases. By the time farmers see yellowing patches in the field or observe even moderate numbers of the tiny insects, yield is already affected. Left unchecked, planthoppers leave behind “hopper burn”—swaths of brown, dry, wilted plants that are potentially unharvestable. Pyraxalt™ active gives farmers a new insecticide option to prevent this kind of potentially catastrophic damage.
Pyraxalt is used early in the season to gain immediate control over planthoppers. When applied at the very earliest stages of infestation*, it provides fast-acting control that lasts up to three times longer than other commonly used pesticides. Insects stop feeding quickly, preventing crop damage and reducing possibilities for disease transmission. The long-lasting efficacy of Pyraxalt also protects against the severity of the next generation of planthoppers, for better control throughout the season.
*5-10 planthoppers per hill in transplanted paddy rice and 200-250 per 0.25m2 in direct-seeded rice
Fast-acting control of planthoppers
Slide the bar to show how Pyraxalt™ active helps protect rice against hopper burn.
Pyraxalt 25 g a.i./ha vs. Untreated control. In this field study from Karnataka state in India, Pyraxalt (left) provided outstanding protection of rice plants against hopper burn for up to 21 days after application.1
Fewer Insecticide Applications, More Confidence
Pyraxalt™ active improves confidence in the rice farming season while reducing some of the labor around planthopper control. Insecticide products containing Pyraxalt are used when rice is young, making scouting and application easier. With up to 21 days of planthopper control, insecticide products containing Pyraxalt only need to be applied once per season, followed by a product with a different mode of action. By using Pyraxalt first, farmers protect rice during its most productive stages and when planthoppers can be the most destructive. Pyraxalt specifically targets planthopper species, so it has minimal impact on beneficial organisms. Natural enemies of planthoppers continue to thrive in treated fields, which helps provide an additional, valuable layer of biological suppression.
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What Makes Pyraxalt™ Active Unique?
Read the Technical Bulletin to learn more about how Pyraxalt™ active is transforming planthopper control. Access the Quick Guide to Pexalon™ insecticide with Pyraxalt™ active for product-specific information.
Early and long-lasting protection
Early application is critical to controlling planthoppers in rice farming. During early stages of infestation, planthoppers are barely visible, even though they are already feeding and causing damage. As the canopy closes, they become harder to see and treat. Pyraxalt enables farmers to manage planthoppers earlier than other commonly used insecticides, for fast-acting planthopper control that also reduces the severity of next-generation infestation. With less insect pressure, rice plants have access to more nutrients to reach their genetic yield potential, bringing in more bushels and heavier grains at harvest.
Highly selective
Pyraxalt works to control all major species of planthoppers in rice. Its selective activity means Pyraxalt has minimal impact on non-target organisms that are important to rice farming, including pollinators, earthworms, fish and beneficial insects and spiders that feed on planthoppers.
New mode of action
Pyraxalt effectively controls species of planthopper, including those with demonstrated resistance to other commonly used insecticides. Pyraxalt works differently on a key binding site in target pests, triggering a distinct physiological response that makes it effective against all major planthopper species and across the pests’ damaging life stages. Having an active ingredient that works differently also helps protect the efficacy of other insecticides, so farmers can continue to have the options they need to control planthoppers.
A New Approach to Planthopper Control for New Possibilities
When farmers choose to use PyraxaltTM active first and early in the season, the results can be transformative. With Pyraxalt, farmers can forego regular scouting for up to 21 days and they don’t need to anxiously watch their fields for planthopper damage. As grains fill, they can feel confident planthoppers are under control, enabling a great harvest. With this peace of mind, rice farmers can put their focus where it matters most for themselves and their families.
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1 Corteva field trial. 2012.
Pyraxalt™ active has many characteristics that contribute to Corteva’s commitment to advancing sustainable agriculture.
Pexalon™ insecticide is not registered for sale or use in all states or countries. Contact your local regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your area. Always read and follow label directions.