USA
August 15, 2012
Like any crop, raising soybean can be a difficult task when all risks are considered. In addition to the typical insects, diseases and weed concerns, the 2012 season got off to an early start as warm weather persisted through winter and into spring. With these unusual circumstances came additional concerns of how the weather would impact early-season pest patterns, which left many growers asking themselves if they had done enough to protect their seed. When soybean plants emerged this season, those who treated their seed and those who did not, received very different answers.
Over the past decade, the use of seed treatments on soybean has increased considerably as producers continue to see the benefits early in the season and the added return on investment at harvest. Serving as the first line of defense against disease and insect pests, seed treatments can improve seed germination, seedling emergence, stand establishment and plant vigor. As a result of this early-season performance, plants treated with seed treatments have an edge over untreated plants when it comes to realizing yield, quality and profit potential.
Early-season insect and disease protection is often necessary as many early-season pests can cause irreversible damage, and also increase the transmission of harmful viruses. Diseases such as Pythium, Phytophthora or Rhizoctonia combined with insects, such as the bean leaf beetle, can have devastating effects on a crop in favorable conditions. However, an insecticide/fungicide seed treatment application can prevent these early-season yield robbers from setting in, as well as reduce insect populations later in the season, resulting in a wider window to scout and monitor for insects, such as the soybean aphid.
Syngenta has played a leading role in the soybean seed treatment market. According to Syngenta research, 15 years ago, less than 10 percent of soybean in the United States was treated with a fungicide seed treatment. As of 2011, only seven years after the introduction of seed treatment insecticides, 24 percent of soybean seed is treated with a fungicide seed treatment and nearly 50 percent is treated with a combination of an insecticide and fungicide seed treatment. This rapid increase in usage has raised the bar in soybean production, allowing many growers to break through yield barriers for increased return on investment.
CruiserMaxx® Beans, an on-seed application of separately registered products, was the first insecticide/fungicide seed treatment available on the market, and will be available with Vibrance™ fungicide seed treatment for the 2013 season. CruiserMaxx Beans has been used on more than 65 million acres and remains the market leader today. In combination with excellent activity against a broad spectrum of soil-dwelling and foliar-feeding insect pests, CruiserMaxx Beans applied with Vibrance positively impacts plant growth via the Cruiser Vigor Effect. The Cruiser Vigor Effect is a broad variety of physiological plant responses to the treatment with Cruiser that help the crop grow more efficiently under an extended spectrum of unfavorable environmental conditions and abiotic stresses such as drought, cold, salinity, nutrient deficiency, low soil pH, phytotoxic compounds and heat. Vigorous plants deliver higher and more consistent yields, provide enhanced quality, and require fewer resources. CruiserMaxx Beans applied with Vibrance also helps optimize seeding rates by protecting every seed to ensure plant establishment and increased speed-to-canopy, which may help improve weed control. The overall result is bigger, more developed plants, which can lead to higher yield and increased profit at harvest.
For all of the latest soybean news from Syngenta, visit http://Soybeans.FarmAssist.com, the one-stop location for everything soybean. And don’t forget to register for the Soybean Insider to be delivered directly to your email at www.FarmAssist.com/SoyInsider.
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