Research Triangle Park, North
Carolina
March 5, 2009
Higher yields are available to
soybean growers who start the growing season off right with
early protection from annual competition.
Weeds, insects and disease pressure limit crop yield potential
throughout the season, even during the first weeks. To help
combat these yield-robbing pests from the start, growers now
have a new, nonselective alternative in soybeans.
Available for 2009, new LibertyLink® soybeans combine top
genetics with built-in tolerance to the broad-spectrum weed
control of Ignite® herbicide. Combined with the multi-faceted
seed protection of the Trilex® 6000 Soybean System, the
LibertyLink soybean program provides growers a complete solution
for limiting early season crop threats.
“LibertyLink soybean varieties feature elite germplasm and have
no yield lag or drag,” said Andy Hurst, product manager,
herbicide tolerant traits and Ignite herbicide at
Bayer CropScience.
“To maximize yield potential, it’s important for growers to
implement best management practices, like early weed control and
seed protection.”
Early Weed Control
One way to boost profits is to control weeds before they impact
soybean yields, according to Bob Hartzler, Extension weed
specialist and professor of agronomy at Iowa State University
(ISU).
“Fields may be weed-free at harvest yet suffer significant yield
losses because weeds that emerged with the crop were allowed to
grow until after the critical period was reached,” explained
Hartzler in a March 2007 article published in the Integrated
Crop Management newsletter.
A Michigan State University study found that if growers allow
weeds to grow 6 inches tall before applying a postemergence
herbicide, they may experience a yield loss of up to 10 bu/A to
14 bu/A for soybeans planted in 15-inch and 7.5-inch rows,
respectively.
Bayer CropScience promotes the use of pre-emergence residual
herbicides, followed by a timely Ignite herbicide application,
when weeds are 3 to 4 inches tall. This limits the time weeds
compete with soybean plants for nutrients, water and sunlight,
Hurst said.
“The biggest abuse with Roundup Ready soybeans is growers spray
glyphosate way too late so they neglect crop yield,” said Mike
Owen, Extension weed specialist and professor of agronomy at
ISU. “You have to spray earlier to remove the weeds before they
compete against potential yields.”
Seed Protection from the Start
Hurst reminds growers that another way to maximize soybean
yields is to protect seeds before they hit the ground.
In 2009, all LibertyLink soybeans will feature the advanced
protection of the Trilex 6000 Soybean System, which combines six
powerful layers of protection, including two fungicides, a
biological fungicide and an insecticide. All layers of Trilex
6000 combine to give growers increased crop vigor in their
stands and yields.
“The Trilex 6000 Soybean System safeguards seed from a wide
variety of early season insects and disease, protecting yield
potential of top genetics, like those offered in LibertyLink
varieties,” Hurst said.
For more information about LibertyLink soybeans, Ignite
herbicide or the Trilex 6000 Soybean System, growers can visit
www.BayerCropScienceUS.com, contact their local Bayer
CropScience sales representative or call 1-866-99-BAYER
(1-866-992-2937).
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the
fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer
CropScience AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of
about EUR 5.8 billion (2007), is one of the world’s leading
innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop
protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant
biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of
products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable
agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer
CropScience has a global workforce of about 17,800 and is
represented in more than 120 countries.
Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer, the Bayer
Cross, Ignite, LibertyLink and Trilex are trademarks of Bayer.
Not all products are registered in all states. Roundup and
Roundup Ready are registered trademarks of Monsanto Company. |
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