Apron Maxx RTA, the newest seed treatment for pulse and bean crops, has just got better through the addition of three new diseases to the label. This makes it by far the most comprehensive, broadest spectrum pulse and bean seed treatment on the market today. The new label approvals include:

• Soybeans: control of seed rot and seedling blight caused by Phomopsis spp.

• Chickpea and lentil: control of seed-borne Ascochyta blight and control of Botrytis.

“This is very good news for pulse and bean growers right across Canada,” says Rick Istead, crop manager, seed treatments with Syngenta Crop Protection Canada, Inc., the company that manufacturers Apron Maxx RTA. “Seed-borne Phomopsis, Ascochyta and Botrytis are some of the most devastating diseases facing soybean, chickpea and lentil growers. With these three new diseases on the label,

Apron Maxx now controls all of the major seed and soil-borne diseases in their crops.”

Apron Maxx RTA is a water-based, ready-to-apply seed treatment that can be applied on-farm or in commercial treating facilities. It’s registered for use on all five major pulse and bean crops – chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, dry beans and dry peas. As well, it’s inoculant-friendly, so growers of these crops who typically use inoculants to help boost nodulation, can treat their seed for protection against early season disease attack and inoculate all in one operation. “Growers who tried Apron Maxx in its first year of use in 2004 told us that this feature was particularly valuable to them,” says Istead. “The main reason was that it saved them so much time during the seeding season.”

Istead says the 2004 season also showed many growers the value of using a seed treatment in their pulse and bean crops. “We saw time and time again last year that Apron Maxx-treated crops did better than non-treated crops. Getting early season diseases under control has a very big impact on emergence, stand establishment and plant growth,” he says. “And the better the start, the better the yield potential of any crop.”

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness company 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 2003 were approximately $6.6 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).

® APRON MAXX, RTA and the Syngenta logo are registered trademarks of a Syngenta group company