CropTalk
Volume 21 | Issue 1
What’s new with Bayer CropScience products
They’re back… Over the past half dozen years, wireworm populations appear to be growing – and causing problems – for Western Canadian growers
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eep in the soil, wireworms are poised to wreak havoc in your cereal crop. Wireworms are the larvae of adult click beetles and since 2004 their numbers have been increasing, as has the yield damage they cause as they’ve been spreading across Western Canadian cereal crops. Each spring, female click beetles emerge from the soil, laying anywhere from 200-400 eggs. Three weeks later the eggs hatch into hungry wireworm larvae, that survive underground by feeding on the plant roots and germinating seeds of cereals and grasses. Newly hatched wireworms have to feed – or they die. Once the larvae is established – it can withstand long periods without food. Over-wintering wireworms are responsible for feeding as well – not just newly hatched larvae.
So how do they cause so much crop injury? Wireworms hollow out seeds before germination and feed at the base of seedlings. The damaged seed results in patchy crop establishment, poor germination and ultimately, a substantially decreased yield. Often, plants wilt and die creating thin plant stands. Wireworms have a long and complex lifecycle. Even if there are no seeds present when they hatch, the wireworms will burrow up to a metre into the soil where they can feed off the soil for three-five years. With very little food, they are able to lay dormant in the soil, sleeping through hot, dry summers and cold winters until the soil temperature is more to their liking – between 10-22C. The best way for growers to fight wireworm damage is with an effective cereal seed treatment. Raxil® WW combines the insecticide Stress ShieldTM with Raxil MD to protect seed from wireworm damage and seedling diseases. Known for its ease of application and its long-lasting coverage, Raxil WW can be used with conventional seed-treating equipment. When wireworms feed on plants treated with Raxil WW, they stop eating and enter a coma-like state, allowing the crop to continue growing unhampered by these pests.
24 | Farm Forum | Winter 2012
Recipe for a Bait Ball Bait balls are used to check for wireworms in the soil, by drawing the wireworms to a carbon dioxide source. Bait balls are made by mixing a cup of wheat flour or oatmeal with a half-cup of water until the mixture can be formed into a ball. The ball can be buried directly in the ground, or tied in a nylon stocking, cheesecloth or another porous material. Bait balls should then be buried in 4-6 inch deep holes in fields where wireworm presence is suspected. Twenty bait balls in a one-acre area will indicate the presence of wireworms, however it will not tell population levels. Bait balls should be checked at seven to 10 days. Bait ball surveys conducted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2010 showed that of the 30 species of wireworm that inhabit Western Canada, a small species of wireworm made up 70% of the population, while a large wireworm species accounted for 13% of the wireworms caught. While the large species eat more, the small ones generally have much higher populations and cause more damage.
The best way for growers to fight wireworm damage is with an effective cereal seed treatment. Raxil WW combines the insecticide Stress Shield with Raxil MD to protect seed from wireworm damage and seedling diseases. Wireworms are difficult to deal with because of their long life span, and because they spend so much of their time deep underground. Right now researchers have yet to find a way to permanently eliminate them from the soil. But products such as Raxil WW will protect your crop at the critical emergence point in time, minimizing damage to cereal crops. CT
A Newsletter from Bayer cropscience
Raxil MD gets cereal crops off to a healthy start T
Raxil MD is a valuable tool to limit the spread of fusarium into new areas and to protect the emerging crop from infection by existing soil inoculum. Fusarium continues to be a problem for Prairie farmers and by 2011 has spread to most of Saskatchewan and south central Alberta. Research conducted by Bayer CropScience and independent research trials have both shown that cereals treated with Raxil MD had an 8% yield increase over untreated seed. Raxil MD controls all major cereal diseases in wheat, barley and oats. A video on the Bayer CropScience website demonstrates the difference in emergence between seed treated with Raxil MD and an untreated check. The seed treated with Raxil MD had a five-day head start on the untreated seed.
BayerCropScience.ca/Raxil A second video shows how diseased seeds germinate much faster when treated with Raxil MD compared to those left untreated. Raxil MD is systemic so it helps maintain seed health, even if was infected before treatment. The Raxil MD treated diseased seed in the video not only sprouted three days earlier, it also showed healthy early growth as compared to clearly diseased sprouting on the untreated seed. Raxil MD provides a cost-effective way to eliminate seed-borne and early seedling disease for better root health and vigor and the best possible crop emergence. Its micro-dispersion technology makes it simple to apply, with uniform coverage for superior plant protection. Because a strong crop needs a healthy start. CT
PHOTOs (left) coutesty genesis studio & bayer cropscience; (right) bayer cropscience
he earliest indicator of a cereal crop’s success is how well it comes out of the soil. Strong, even, healthy emergence is the first step in successful stand establishment. Seed treated with Raxil MD has been proven to emerge quicker and healthier than untreated seed, even if the treated seed has already been infected with disease. The wet conditions across much of the Prairies in 2010 set the stage for increased disease pressure and poor seed quality in 2011. Seed samples show a higher than normal incidence of infected seed. Early in the season, fusarium and smut disease complex were two of the biggest challengers to your cereal’s emergence. Cereals treated with Raxil outperformed the untreated check by 29%, even surpassing its next closest competitor by 4%. Raxil MD treated seed help the crop before emergence. Seedborne infections of fusarium can lead to poor emergence, seedling blight, a pathogen buildup in the soil and the potential for future head blight infections. Ultimately fusarium can lead to significant crop downgrading due to fusarium damaged kernels, and also impact your yield.
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CropTalk Three great ways to save B
ayer CropScience is pleased to offer Western Canadian growers exceptional opportunities to save on the family of Bayer CropScience crop protection products. Even better, the savings programs operate in conjunction with one another, meaning you can combine the offers to maximize your potential savings.
Combine your savings – for maximum benefit! Product
1. BayerValue: Purchase $10,000 or more of qualifying products for incredible savings on our lineup of participating products.
2. Early Book InVigor®: Book a minimum of 300 acres of InVigor hybrid canola by January 31, 2012 to qualify for exceptional savings on unlimited acres of participating products.
Maximum Savings
Proline Fungicide
25%
Infinity Herbicide
20%
Velocity m3 and Varro Herbicides
18%
Prosaro and Folicur EW Fungicides
15%
Tundra Herbicide
13%
Buctril M, Thumper, Puma Advance Herbicides
3. Cereal Winter Sale: Receive an additional 5% off your purchases of Velocity m3, Tundra , NEW Varro, Buctril M, Thumper and Puma Advance by booking your herbicides by March 9, 2012. TM
5%
Some restrictions apply. For complete terms and conditions of the BayerValue program, visit BayerCropScience.ca/BayerValue.
CEREAL WINTER SALE
Maximum Savings
3%
6%
3%
$40,000 ≥ purchase of Bayer CropScience products
8%
$75,000 ≥ purchase of Bayer CropScience products
10%
15%
R VA
18%
5%
5%
5%4
5%5
5%6
5%
5%
3%
12%
6%
6%
6%
4%
16%
8%
8%
8%
5%
20%
10%
10%
10%
Cereals Raxil MD Seed Treatment Raxil WW Seed Treatment (Wireworm) Prosaro Fungicide (Head timing) Folicur EW Fungicide (Flag leaf timing) Stratego® Fungicide (Early timing)
U C TH TR U IL M M P O ER R PU M A AD VA N C
O R
C FO
LI
O PR
15%
B
EW
®
U
R SA
IT FI IN
20%
R
O
®
5%3
N
D N TU
13%
5%3 3%
InVigor Hybrid Canola Seed Liberty® Herbicide Centurion® Herbicide Proline Fungicide
Y
A R
IT C LO VE
18%
$10,000 ≥ purchase of Bayer CropScience products
Canola
25%
®
m
3
25%
Cereal Winter Sale1 Early Book InVigor2
Y
®
E N LI O PR
The 2012 Cereal Winter Sale, BayerValue and Early Book InVigor® programs are combined to maximize your savings (See chart below).
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In addition to BayerValue savings, you can also receive an additional 5% off your purchase of Velocity m3, Tundra™, Varro™, Buctril® M, Thumper® and Puma® Advance by booking your herbicides by March 9, 2012.
Pulses
Tundra Herbicide (Broad Spectrum) Velocity m3 Herbicide (Broad Spectrum) Varro Herbicide (Grass)
Trilex AL Seed Treatment Centurion Herbicide Sencor® Herbicide (Broadleaf)
Puma Advance Herbicide (Grass) Infinity Herbicide (Broadleaf) Buctril M Herbicide (Broadleaf) Thumper Herbicide (Broadleaf)
Proline Fungicide
To qualify for your Cereal Winter Sale Savings you must book by March 9, 2012. To qualify for your Early Book InVigor Savings, InVigor hybrid canola must be booked by January 31, 2012 and a minimum purchase of 300 acres of InVigor is required. Minimum of 160 acres 4 To qualify for savings, a minimum of 160 acres of Varro must be purchased. Savings apply to matching acres of Varro with Buctril M or Thumper. 5 To qualify for savings, a minimum matching acres of 160 acres with Varro or 480 acres with Puma Advance must be purchased. Savings apply to matching acres only. 6 Minimum of 480 acres 1 2 3
For complete terms and conditions of the BayerValue program, please visit BayerCropScience.ca/BayerValue.
26 | Farm Forum | Winter 2012
R A X IL ® T R IL EX ® A L D EC IS ® S EVIN ® X L R
Save $1.00/ac with a minimum of 300 acres of InVigor purchased 2 OR $10,000 in qualifying purchases of Bayer CropScience products
Insecticides Decis Insecticide Sevin XLR Insecticide
A Newsletter from Bayer cropscience
Get your pulses racing Seed- and soil-borne diseases continue to increase in pulse and soybean crops due to variable weather events. The critical earlyseason protection of Trilex® AL, protects your pulse and soybean seeds when they’re most vulnerable. Trilex AL provides superior seedling protection from rhizoctonia and fusarium, leading to excellent stand establishment and yield.
To see how we stand up to the competition visit BayerCropScience.ca/TrilexAL
Wheat smarts You asked for it and now you’ve got it. The feedback from growers, retailers and agronomists has been overwhelming. Canadian wheat growers want a superior performing, grassy herbicide solution with powerful wild oat control options. With these grower demands in mind, the cereal innovation leaders at Bayer CropScience are proud to announce NEW Varro herbicide.
Bulk up on convenience with BigBoys BigBoys totes are for growers who demand convenience. Save time and money with our complete lineup of BigBoys products. Ensure you secure supply of your required product early by talking to your local retail.
With Varro, wheat growers get: • Varro provides strong performance on grassy and select broadleaf weeds • It’s a Group 2 that allows crops rotation flexibility • Varro is flexible as it can be tank mixed with many broadleaf herbicides to target the specific weeds on your farm
Look for Varro at a retailer near you for the 2012 season.
Why treat your seed?
PHOTO (right) coutesty bayer cropscience
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isease can start long before your crop is exposed to the elements. One of the earliest indicators of a crop’s ultimate success is how well it comes out of the ground. And one of the ways to ensure you get the best stand establishment is to ensure your seed is protected with an effective seed treatment. Seed treatments are an insurance policy that can protect against issues within the seed itself or the surrounding soil. Without a seed treatment, ideal conditions are needed for that initial strong establishment, and more often than not, Canada doesn’t serve up ideal conditions. For example, typical early-season, cold and damp soil aid development of fungal spores that can easily damage the seed. Soil temperatures also stay colder in reduced tillage systems which have become the norm on the Prairies. Cold soil means a later establishment, which in turn can give seed and soil-borne diseases all the time and environment they need to cause major problems. At the same time, warm soils do not guarantee safety as warm soils favour the establishment of different diseases. Seed treatments can be used for different purposes. They prevent the spread of the disease, they can protect the seed from seed rot and seedling blight, they keep insects in the soil
out of the plant and they can also improve germination. Seed treatments can act as a disinfectant and destroy some fungal spores. Most now are systemic and actually enter the plant and prevent infection of the growing tissue. It does not matter if the infection is seed or soil-borne organisms that could otherwise harm the seed before it germinates, as the seed treatment will protect the seed. If a grower has had insect pressure in the past or has insect pressure in the current year, these pests can also delay and reduce stand establishment. Seed treatments containing insecticides will provide an extra layer of protection for the crop. Seed treatments today often contain multiple modes of action with different active ingredients that cover a wide range of issues in the seed. Products are easier to use than ever before, and they’re also safer for the user and the environment. Bayer CropScience has a suite of seed treatment products that effectively protect the seed and ultimately the crop – whether that crop is wheat, barley or oats. CT
Always read and follow label directions. Buctril®, Decis®, Folicur®, Infinity®, InVigor®, Liberty®, Proline®, Prosaro®, Puma®, Raxil®, Sevin®, Sencor®, Stratego®, Stress ShieldTM, Thumper®, Trilex®, TundraTM and VarroTM are trademarks of Bayer. Centurion® is a registered trademark of Arysta LifeScience. All other products are trademarks of their respective companies. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.
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