By Jamie Martin
A new player has entered the U.S. crop protection market with the launch of a herbicide aimed at helping growers manage increasingly troublesome resistant weeds.
Viriterra Inc., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, has introduced Perseus SC, a pyroxasulfone-based herbicide for residual weed control in corn, soybeans, wheat and other labeled crops. The launch marks the company's first commercial product in the United States.
The company says the product provides agricultural retailers and distributors with an additional source of pyroxasulfone, a Group 15 herbicide active ingredient widely used in pre-emergence weed management programs. According to product information, Perseus SC is formulated as a suspension concentrate and is labeled for control or suppression of annual grasses, sedges and broadleaf weeds.
Among the target weeds are several species that continue to challenge growers across major crop-producing regions, including Palmer amaranth, waterhemp and foxtail species. The product can be used in preplant and pre-emergence applications, although rates and timing vary by crop and use pattern.
For many growers, residual herbicides have become an increasingly important component of weed management programs as resistance to multiple herbicide modes of action continues to spread. Palmer amaranth and waterhemp, in particular, have become costly management concerns in corn and soybean production systems throughout much of the United States.
Unlike many crop protection suppliers that purchase active ingredients from third parties, Viriterra describes itself as a vertically integrated manufacturer that produces pyroxasulfone at commercial scale. The company says it operates with support from three manufacturing facilities and more than 300 employees across those operations.
Company executives indicate dependable supply is a key part of the firm's market strategy.
According to Viriterra, distributors purchasing Perseus SC have direct access to both commercial and technical support teams, allowing them to work directly with the product manufacturer rather than through additional supply chain layers.
The company has also published field trial data from 2025 on its website, allowing retailers, agronomists and crop advisers to review performance results by weed species, trial location and evaluation timing.
Product information shows the herbicide is labeled across a broad range of crops, including corn, soybeans, wheat, chickpeas, potatoes, sunflowers, cotton and onions, among others. The company also notes the herbicide has demonstrated activity against certain ALS-, ACCase- and glyphosate-resistant weed biotypes.
While Perseus SC is the company's first commercial offering, Viriterra says it is developing additional herbicide and fungicide products for the U.S. market, with launches planned through 2031, subject to regulatory approvals.
Photo Credit: Viriterra
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