Bʏ Mᴀʀʏ Mᴡᴇɴᴅᴇ
November 20, 2025
Kenya’s floriculture sector received a significant boost this week with the launch of Verpixo® 100 SC, a next-generation fungicide developed by Corteva Agriscience to help growers combat powdery mildew, one of the most persistent and economically damaging diseases in ornamentals.
Unveiled before industry regulators, researchers, growers, and key stakeholders, Verpixo® marks a major scientific and commercial milestone, not only as the first picolinamide fungicide registered for use on ornamentals, but also as a long-awaited tool offering growers a truly new mode of action at a time when resistance to conventional fungicides continues to rise and powdery mildew continues to challenge rose farms across high-altitude and humid production zones
In his opening remarks, Joseph Anampiu, Corteva Business Leader WESCA, highlighted how Verpixo® strengthens Kenya’s floriculture resilience. “Verpixo is a unique innovation, blending Corteva’s commitment to sustainable, future-ready solutions. It joins a backbone of great products and complements our ongoing innovation in the sector,” he said.
Anampiu also emphasized the strategic role of Kenya as a hub of connectivity and leadership in floriculture, linking growers, distributors, stakeholders, and innovators. He underscored the significance of Verpixo® as the first registration of its kind in Africa and part of a broader pipeline aimed at sustaining progress, market access, and environmental stewardship.
Corteva Business Leader, Kenya, Charles Mutema, in his address, also described the launch of Verpixo as a major milestone for Kenya’s flower sector, saying, “This is the culmination of years of planning,” noting that Verpixo is also aligned with Corteva’s broader innovation agenda, “The journey of Verpixo started with trials in 2018 and 2019. It has taken years of science, development, and refinement to bring this solution to market. Innovation is central to how we support farmers, especially as they face increasing disease pressure and the negative impacts of climate change.”
By combining advanced scientific innovation with a deep understanding of local growing conditions, Corteva Agriscience enables rose growers to consistently meet the highest international quality standards, “Verpixo® 100 SC is not just a fungicide but our commitment to helping Kenyan farmers compete on the global floriculture stage,” said Innocent Oeri, Marketing Campaign Manager at Corteva.
A First-of-Its-Kind Fungicide for Ornamentals
Verpixo® is the first-ever picolinamide fungicide developed for ornamental crops, positioning it well outside the crowded space of SDHIs, triazoles, and strobilurins. Its active ingredient, florylpicoxamid, is classified under FRAC Group 21 (Qil) and binds to the Qil site of fungal mitochondria. This is a completely different binding site from Group 11 strobilurins (Qo site), Group 7 SDHIs and Group 3 DMIs.
This novel site of action gives Verpixo® a clean resistance profile with no cross-resistance to the chemistries that growers have depended on for over two decades and which pathogens have increasingly learned to evade.
How It Works: A Unique Internal Target
Adavelt™ active disrupts fungal mitochondrial respiration from the inner side of the inner mitochondrial membrane. By blocking electron transfer at Complex III, it sharply reduces ATP production, depriving the pathogen of the energy needed for growth, germination, and sporulation. This results in:
- Exceptional preventive performance (stopping spores before infection begins)
- Reliable curative activity (halting infections already underway)
- Effective reduction of spore development and disease spread
NB: Trial images show reduced spore germination only three days after treatment compared to unchecked mycelial growth in untreated plots.
During the launch, Corteva’s Technical Manager Eduardo Posado emphasized that Verpixo® is meant to strengthen, not replace, current fungicide programs. “Verpixo is not here to replace what you are currently using,” he said. “It is an addition; a tool you integrate into your existing program. Being a new mode of action, it allows growers to alternate chemistry and reduce resistance pressure.”
Broad-Spectrum Protection Against Challenging Diseases
Although the product is being introduced primarily for powdery mildew in cut flowers, Verpixo®’s broad-spectrum action positions it as a valuable rotational partner in any ornamental disease management program.
Its key strengths include:
- Protection against Ascomycete pathogens, including powdery mildew
- Strong performance where resistance to SDHIs, strobilurins, and triazoles is already evident
- Ability to replace older products that are losing efficacy or being phased out
- Consistent activity even under high disease pressure
This broad utility offers Kenyan growers a more reliable and flexible way to safeguard production throughout the season.
Translaminar and Local Systemic Movement for All-round Coverage
Verpixo® provides what Corteva calls “stellar protection” through:
- Translaminar Movement
The active ingredient penetrates the leaf and redistributes within the tissue, protecting both the upper and lower leaf surfaces.
- Acropetal Movement
The product moves upward toward the leaf tips, extending protection across young shoots and new growth areas highly vulnerable to powdery mildew infection.
- Surface Protection
During application, the fungicide spreads across leaves, stems, and petals, preventing spore germination on contact. The combined effect ensures uniform coverage and improved efficacy, especially in climates with fluctuating humidity and temperature, typical of major Kenyan flower zones.
Flexible Use, Strong Crop Safety, and Low Use Rates
The product’s formulation (100 g/L florylpicoxamid) allows for:
- Low application rates: 1.25 L/Ha or 125 mL per 100 L
- Excellent crop safety on roses and other ornamentals
- Short re-entry interval: 6 hours
- Compatibility with commonly used fungicides, insecticides, and biostimulants
This flexibility gives growers greater freedom to plan their spray programs without worrying about phytotoxicity or tank-mix complications.
A Strong Fit for Modern IPM Systems
Verpixo®’s low impact on beneficial insects makes it a natural fit for farms pursuing integrated pest and disease management. IOBC trials show that it is harmless to major beneficial species including: Phytoseiulus persimilis, Encarsia Formosa, Trichogramma pretiosum, Hippodamia variegate and Mallada signatus. Only Neoseiulus californicus showed slight sensitivity.
As export markets tighten residue limits and demand cleaner production, this feature increases Verpixo®’s relevance for Kenyan growers.
Resistance Management: Stewardship for Long-Term Use
Corteva emphasizes Verpixo®’s role as a resistance management tool, not just another fungicide. Recommendations include:
- Avoid repetitive use- alternate with fungicides with different modes of action
- Preferably mix with multisite fungicides for enhanced durability
- Apply during early disease stages
- Integrate into an IPDM program with cultural and biological controls
- Always follow label recommendations for dose and timing
When used correctly, Verpixo® helps delay resistance development while prolonging the effectiveness of existing chemistries on the farm.
Regulator’s Perspective
In his remarks, Peter Otieno, representing the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), affirmed that Verpixo® underwent Kenya’s full regulatory scrutiny before approval, detailing the process as: Chemical and physical property evaluation, Human toxicology review, Ecotoxicological assessment, Consumer safety analysis and Efficacy trials.
“Verpixo 100SC has passed through our hands and has been approved as a safe and efficacious product, safe to humans, safe to the environment, and effective when used according to instructions,” he said.
Otieno also addressed industry-wide concerns about fake and counterfeit agrochemicals in circulation. Misuse and misapplication leading to Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) interceptions in export markets, Poor calibration of knapsack sprayers, Failure to follow label instructions and Emerging pests and the need for technologies to counter them, urging a closer partnership, “A product can be very good, but if not used according to label instructions, it will not give the intended results. We call on the industry to work with us in farmer training and stewardship.” Otieno also highlighted ongoing national efforts such as Spray Service Providers (SSPs) to promote proper pesticide handling and reduce residue risks.
Also speaking on behalf of KEPHIS, Moses Oyier underscored the critical role Verpixo® will play in ensuring Kenya maintains its leadership in global floriculture markets. With Kenya’s climate supporting year-round production, the country faces continuous pest pressure. Oyier warned that growers must remain vigilant: “The pest race is continuous. As we introduce new plant materials, pests evolve. New technologies like Verpixo help us maintain productivity and prevent interceptions at destination markets.” He also applauded Corteva for the 10–15 years of research invested to bring Verpixo® to market, noting that such innovations protect both farmer livelihoods and Kenya’s global competitiveness.
Growers at the event emphasized that powdery mildew remains a leading cause of losses, increased chemical costs, and market risks. A new mode-of-action fungicide arriving at a time of growing resistance concerns was, in many ways, overdue. With escalating global scrutiny on MRLs and the increasing frequency of EU border alerts, Verpixo’s selectivity, residue profile, and IPM compatibility were widely acknowledged as timely advantages. The approved distributors for the product are Elgon Kenya, Amiran and Lachlan.