Dividend XL RTA, a leading seed treatment in wheat and barley, just got better with the addition of three more cereal crops to the label: oats, rye and triticale.

“The addition of these crops to the label, together with the product’s broad spectrum disease profile, makes Dividend truly the most comprehensive and versatile seed treatment available to Canadian cereal growers,” says Rick Istead, crop manager, seed treatments with Syngenta Crop Protection Canada, Inc., the company that makes Dividend XL RTA. “And it’s convenient for growers too – the application rate is the same for all crops, so cereal growers don’t need to recalibrate their on-farm treating equipment if they happen to be treating more than one cereal crop kind.”

Dividend XL RTA is the grower’s best defense against a broad spectrum of seed and soil-borne diseases in wheat and barley, and this holds true for the new crops as well.

In oats, Dividend XL RTA controls:
• Loose smut
• Covered smut
• Seed rot caused by Fusarium, Pythium, Penicillium and Aspergillus
• Seedling blight caused by seed- and soil-borne Fusarium
• Damping-off caused by Pythium
• Plus suppression of common root rot caused by Cochliobolus spp.

In rye, Dividend XL RTA controls:
• Common bunt (seed and soil)
• Dwarf bunt (seed and soil)
• Seed rot caused by Fusarium, Pythium, Penicillium and Aspergillus
• Seedling blight caused by seed- and soil-borne Fusarium
• Damping-off caused by Pythium
• Seed-borne septoria (when high rate is used)
• Plus suppression of common root rot caused by Cochliobolus spp., Fusarium crown and foot rot, and take-all

In triticale, Dividend XL RTA controls:
• Loose smut
• Seed rot caused by Fusarium, Pythium, Penicillium and Aspergillus
• Damping-off caused by Pythium
• Plus suppression of Common root rot caused by Cochliobolus spp., Fusarium crown and foot rot, and take-all

Earlier this year, Dividend XL RTA expanded its disease profile claims in spring wheat, winter wheat and barley to include control of seed rot caused by Pythium and Fusarium, and control of seedling blight caused by seed- and soil-borne Fusarium, making it one of the broadest spectrum cereal seed treatments in the market today.

“I think the new crops plus the disease label expansion earlier this year are a welcome development for Canadian cereal growers,” says Istead. ”Harvest conditions this year have been difficult in many areas so seed quality going into the 2006 season is likely to be suspect. A broad-spectrum seed treatment like Dividend can help cereal crops survive the challenges of seed- and soil-borne diseases, which is necessary for early, strong stand establishment and improved yield potential.”

Istead urges growers to use certified seed or have their bin-run seed tested for germination and the presence of seed-borne pathogens at an accredited lab. “Knowing the quality of your seed before you seed is one of the simplest and best management practices available that will improve your chances for a successful, high-yielding crop,” says Istead.

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2004 were approximately $7.3 billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT).