Maize: the gift of the gods

ment uses. Fluoxastrobin is a new BayerCropScience strobilurin, prothioconazolebelongs to a new chemical class: triazolinthiones,the latest Bayer CropSciencedevelopment of the triazole family. “Due totheir biological and physio-chemical properties,both fluoxastrobin and prothioconazolehave been developed for worldwideusage across a range of arable crops asfoliar and seed treatment products”,explains Thomas Groenke and adds: “Theyboth are unique in their excellent control ofsnow mould.” Snow mould, Microdochiumnivale, plays an important role in countrieswhere sowing is done under cold conditionssince preferentially it develops at lowtemperatures under snow cover.The first generation of products usingthese new active substances is on its way.Redigo ® is the brand name for straight prothioconazole,the highly active substancefrom the class of the triazolinthiones. Itsfirst commercial launch is just running inthe UK this year. According to ThomasGroenke, Redigo will become “the newcornerstone in our fungicide cereal seedtreatment portfolio. It is a generalist with abroad spectrum of efficacy and will providea reliable solution for snow mould inwheat. Also, it offers reliable control of allother major soil- and seed-borne diseasesin wheat, having shown excellent performanceagainst Fusarium, Ustilago andTilletia in our field tests. It thus has themost complete spectrum of activity to date.In barley, Redigo provides an excellentlevel of control against covered smut and agood performance against barley loosesmut. The product also shows good compatibilityto plants and a favourable environmentalbehaviour as well as excellentseed colouring. I believe it will become theleading product in our new product familyand set a new benchmark in disease controlfor the standard segment.”The other member of this first generationof new products is Bariton ® . This is aninnovative formulation containing bothnew active substances: prothioconazoleand fluoxastrobin. It thus combines twomodes of action: while fluoxastrobin isactive on the respiratory chain of fungi,prothioconazole leads to abnormal steroldistribution in the fungal cell wall (DMI*-type). Like Redigo, Bariton is an easy-tohandleformulation and complies with allrequirements and safety features of a moderncrop protection product. The third newproduct, Scenic ® , combines prothioconazole,fluoxastrobin and tebuconazole.Researchers from Bayer CropScience saythe products’ active substances complementeach other very well: “They arematched in tailored formulations. Theircomplementary modes of action and biologicalprofiles ensure these well balancedcombinations are unique solutions and arethe basis for an outstanding, reliable andconsistent performance at the highestlevel.” Both Bariton and Scenic weredeveloped primarily for the premium segmentof the European market and offersolutions for broad-spectrum disease controlin cereals.A second generation of new prothioconazoleproducts will be marketed andsold under the brand name Lamardor ® . It isa new highly concentrated formulationcontaining prothioconazole and tebuconazole,developed especially for Central andEastern Europe. “There, it will set a newstandard” believes Thomas Groenke andcontinues: “Clearly, in fungicidal cerealseed treatment we are the company thatoffers the most comprehensive productportfolio.” Part of this portfolio is anotherbrand, introduced two years ago andalready well-established as Galmano ® .Galmano is one of the few productsoffering protection against Take-all(Gaeumannomyces graminis). Highly cropsafe, it helps to ensure high yield in situationswhere, for instance, cereal crops werelast in the crop rotation and from otherfields at risk to Take-all. In addition, it is abroad-spectrum seed treatment productwith foliar activity and seed disinfectionbenefits, promoting a healthy root system.It reduces the level of infection with leafspot (Septoria tritici), brown rust (Pucciniarecondita) and yellow rust (P. striiformis)and also protects the seed against commonseed- and soil-borne cereal diseases likebunts (Tilletia spp.), smuts (Ustilago spp.),Fusarium spp. and Septoria nodorum. “Weare very proud to have Galmano in ourportfolio”, admits Markus Heldt, ProductManager, Seed Treatment Fungicides inMonheim.The significance of seed treatment isconfirmed by its worldwide use: it is standardin many crops and accounts for fourper cent of the total crop protection market.Bayer CropScience is the marketleader today and is confident to maintainthis position in the future through a superiorand balanced product portfolio, thelevel and quality of services provided tothe customers and through the excellentbusiness relationships with the global seedcompanies. Bayer CropScience therefore isproud of its success in bringing two newactive substances to the market. ■*DMI = demethylation inhibitorPink snow mould (Microdochium nivale)Take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis)12 COURIER 1/05