Insecticides India launches new rice herbicide that provides broad-spectrum weed control

Insecticides India Limited (IIL) has launched a new herbicide, Altair, aimed at improving weed management for rice farmers. Developed by Japan-based Nissan Chemical Corporation, the product will be exclusively marketed in India by IIL.

Altair, based on the active ingredient Metazosulfuron 33% WG, is a pre-emergent herbicide designed to offer broad-spectrum control against common and hard-to-eradicate weeds such as Echinochloa crus-galli, Ammania, and Cyperus species. The product is formulated to be applied within three days of transplanting rice seedlings, forming a soil barrier that inhibits weed germination for up to 50 days.

According to IIL, the herbicide is tailored to suit Indian agronomic conditions, offering a practical alternative to manual weeding and multiple chemical applications. The company emphasized that the early-stage intervention provided by Altair could support higher yields by reducing weed competition during the crop’s critical growth period.

Rajesh Kumar Aggarwal, Managing Director of IIL, described Altair as a “breakthrough” solution that reinforces the company’s focus on innovative crop protection. “This launch is a testament to IIL’s commitment to addressing the real challenges faced by Indian farmers,” he said in a statement.

Dushyant Sood, Chief Marketing Officer at IIL, noted that the product had been demonstrated to more than 10,000 farmers across 500 locations over the past year. He claimed that trial participants found Altair more effective than existing herbicides.

Altair will be distributed through IIL’s national sales network, targeting key paddy-growing regions across India.