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Bayer on its “game changer” for soybeans

A new tool for soybean growers is described as a “game changer” by its maker. Bayer CropScience has introduced the ILeVO seed treatment to protect against two of the top diseases impacting soybean yields, cyst nematodes and Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS).

Bayer’s business strategy manager John Carlson says the dollar amount in lost revenues for soybean growers is 2-Billion a year.

In 2014, Carlson says SDS was a widespread problem, not only hitting Iowa and Illinois, key soybean growing states, but also other states, “If you go out of the two ‘I’ states you saw Sudden Death Syndrome in states where we really haven’t seen it before. States like South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, they don’t typically see Sudden Death Syndrome and they had documented cases of Sudden Death Syndrome.”

Carlson says ILeVo, paired with Bayer’s Poncho/VOTiVO, will provide tremendous protection, “On typical yields you’re going to lose between 2 and 20 bushels. Where, if protected with ILeVO seed treatment it’s going to gain back that 2 to 10 bushel on average over the last four years of our testing.”

Once a soybean crop is infected with SDS, it stays in the soil. That’s why Carlson says protection is so crucial.

AUDIO: Interview with John Carlson (6:00 mp3):