Hasten Reaches 25 years Of Proven Performance

In 1993, Dr Bob Killick, owner of Vicchem, was involved in the creation of ground breaking chemistry by using ethylated Canola Oil to create the unique formulation of Hasten Spray Adjuvant. This was a significant advancement in adjuvant technology. Following its registration by the National Registration Authority (predecessor of APVMA) in May 1996, it offered Agronomists and Growers a high performing, versatile and “in-crop safe” adjuvant, locally manufactured in Australia. The innovative Hasten formulation was successfully patented and caught the attention of Crop Protection Companies (CPC) as being the first adjuvant based on ethylated Canola Oil available worldwide. Consequently, Hasten’s use in applications across Broadacre and Horticultural markets steadily grew, as did the number of CPC labels referencing Hasten, catapulting it to become a leading spray adjuvant in Australia.

In May 2021, Hasten Spray Adjuvant reaches a 25 year milestone of helping Australian producers grow high yielding, quality crops. Dr Bob Killick’s son and current Managing Director, Andrew Killick states, “We are pleased Hasten is an Australian developed, owned and manufactured adjuvant that has provided excellent performance for farmers, and supported our distributor and industry partners. Ongoing trial work continues to confirm its position as a leading adjuvant as does the fact that it is now cross-labelled on over forty five CPC products. We are proud to say that Hasten is supporting Australian farmers by using 100% Australian grown canola oil in its manufacture, and is being sold across the world”.

In Hasten we have a product that has stood the demands of farming in Australian conditions for the past 25 years. It continues to be referenced on new CPC chemistry entering the Australian Agricultural market.

The current climatic conditions are very favourable for growers across the main cropping regions which is creating a higher than normal demand for Hasten and other Vicchem products. We thank the agricultural industry for their support and will continue to step up to the supply challenge in a timely manner through our commitment to Australian manufacturing.

Hasten - Australia’s Leading Spray Adjuvant – 25 years – Mix With the best.

Hasten increases cross-labelled products to 45

Years of research and development by Vicchem creating superior crop adjuvants such as the flagship Hasten brand continues to pay off for the science-based company.

Since its Australian launch in 1996, Hasten is now cross-labelled on 45 leading agricultural chemical products, with recent additions including BASF’s Versys Insecticide and Adama’s Topnotch Fungicide. Hasten’s foliar penetrative properties make it an adjuvant of choice for these new systemic products.

The pioneering adjuvant brand Hasten has become a genuine home-grown success story for Melbourne based Vicchem, due to its continued growth in popularity amongst suppliers, resellers, agronomist and growers. Vicchem’s National Sales Manager, Owen Connelly said Hasten was one of the few adjuvant brands that offers agronomists and resellers a strong cross label that covers a large range of protection options.

Widely sold in the distinctive 20L green cans, Hasten has a solid research base. It’s manufactured to high-quality standards and extensively trialled to ensure safety to users, crops and the natural environment.

From Vicchem’s R&D division, Technical Manager Peter Jones reminds resellers and agronomists of reassuring results from Vicchem’s recent studies into adjuvant safety. Mr Jones said “all adjuvants have the potential to cause crop phytotoxicity which plantchemists believe is due to cellular breakdown. Based on Vicchem’s long-term studies, canola derived Hasten caused less cellular damage than mineral oil adjuvants and alcohol alkoxylate based non-ionic surfactants such as BS1000”, he said.

A key strength of Hasten is it’s ability to help systemic selective herbicides penetrate the waxy cuticle of target weeds, without damaging the crop.

On environmental safety, Mr Jones said Vicchem had also studied the effects of adjuvants on beneficial insects and predatory mites. The results show that Hasten was generally safer than Mineral oil based adjuvants and alcohol alkoxylate based non-ionic surfactants, which can be harmful to predatory green lacewing, predatory mites and parasitic wasps when sprayed on them, at typical use rates.

Mr Jones said Vicchem was also exploring opportunities to use some of the outstanding properties of Hasten in the development of new products; tailor-made made for certain pesticide types with Outright 770 for glyphosate applications in hard water an excellent example.

We are researching to incorporate these properties of Hasten into new adjuvant products in a targeted way.

Bale Boost Range : Builds Better Bales

Quality hay production in Australia is an important market supplying an essential component for livestock production and the ever expanding export hay market. Producing high-quality hay whether for domestic livestock consumption or export requires the right climatic condition both in growing the crop and at baling time when rainfall, heat and humidity can all seriously affect the final product.

From the development of Hasten and other leading adjuvant products, Vicchem has developed a range of products to assist hay production more effectively. Bale Boost consists of a unique Hayspray 300 applicator with a range of Hay adjuvants to manage moisture and retain leaf quality in hay production.

The products being Dry Down, Bale Shield and Leaf Retain, each bring new and beneficial aspects to hay production. These products have been developed through Vicchem’s R&D team from established technologies in Vicchem’s proprietary portfolio. The Bale Boost product guide outlines the features and benefits for each product in the Bale Boost range, to “build better bales”

Vicchem has achieved HACCP Certification for a Food Grade Ester!

Earlier this year Vicchem achieved Certification for a newly developed HACCP Plan to support the manufacture of a food grade Ester – Esterol 122. The preparations included;

• significant refurbishing of facilities
• preparing and implementing the HACCP Plan
• appointment and training of a Food Safety Supervisor
• training of personnel as food handlers
• closely monitored batch manufacture

The process was completed in record time with fantastic commitment and involvement of all staff and ably guided by our FoodSafe Focus Consultant. We passed initial HACCP audit by SGS with flying colours and have followed up with further improvements to continue producing high quality batches of product.