BASF Agricultural Solutions acquired the proprietary Glu-L technology for L-glufosinate ammonium from AgriMetis, an industry leader in biotechnological innovations for crop protection.
With this technology, BASF will provide farmers with a more efficient solution and improved formulation to protect against troublesome weeds.
“The Glu-L technology builds on BASF’s continued commitment to innovative solutions that help farmers solve their most pressing challenges,” said Paul Rea, Senior Vice President, BASF Agricultural Solutions North America. “We know weed resistance continues to threaten farming operations, and this needed technology will help address this concern. It will also contribute to sustainable farming practices by reducing the amount of product needed to control weeds.”
Glu-L helps conserve natural resources and meet consumer demand for transparency and food safety. Today’s glufosinate products consist of the active L-glufosinate ammonium and the inactive D-glufosinate ammonium. The Glu-L technology converts the latter into active L-glufosinate ammonium. This makes the new product significantly more efficient.
While weed control with Glu-L is equivalent to currently available commercial glufosinate products, farmers applying the new technology can reduce the amount of crop protection they need to apply by up to 50%. This reduction will help create efficiencies for both farmers and the channel and make the distribution and application of the product even more sustainable than today’s solutions.
In addition, the comprehensive patent protection for this new technology puts BASF in a strong competitive position for the coming years. Glu-L has been submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and will launch in the next few years upon agency approval. It will also be launched in other relevant regions.