Late last week Bayer announced they’ve received an important green light for their SmartStax® PRO Technology with its third-generation corn rootworm trait. Bayer received the final safety certificate for import and food/feed use from China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for the trait, and that allows for commercial introduction in the United States to proceed.
SmartStax® PRO Technology is the first product offering three modes of action for corn rootworm control.
“We’re excited to receive this authorization and look forward to putting SmartStax® PRO Technology in the hands of our grower customers,” said Scott Stein North America Corn Product Management Lead. “The introduction of a novel mode of action like RNAi will provide growers yet another tool to help control tough corn rootworm pests.”
RNAi-based technologies are developed from a naturally occurring process in the targeted plant or pest to stop or decrease the production of a specific protein and can be used to target specific pests, like the corn rootworm.
In addition to corn rootworm, SmartStax® PRO Technology will offer growers protection against European corn borer, southwestern corn borer, fall armyworm, black cutworm and corn earworm.
“This is another example of Bayer’s continued commitment to providing new, innovative solutions and industry-leading technology that help growers address the tough challenges they face on their farms,” said Dr. Calvin Treat, Head of Crop Technology for Corn, Soybeans and Cotton. “We’re confident that SmartStax® PRO Technology will provide tremendous value for growers.”
Bayer plans to conduct on-farm grower market development trials in 2021, while ramping up volume to meet grower needs for a U.S. commercial launch in 2022. Bayer also expects to have products to launch in Canada in 2023.
Also, in September of last year Bayer received EU Commission authorization for XtendFlex Soybeans, bringing that technology to commercial launch this year.
“That allows us to have a full launch in the United States and Canada in 2021, and XtendFlex soybeans will be available across all maturity ranges and for all Bayer brands in corn seeds licensees in the 2021 season,” says Megan McQuoid with Bayer.
XtendFlex soybeans is the industry’s first triple stack soybean trait with tolerance to dicamba, glyphosate and glufosinate herbicides. Growers will have more choices now, along with flexibility and options on application timing.
“With XtendFlex soybeans and the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System in general, we encourage early application and spraying early with multiple modes of action and overlapping residuals,” McQuoid said. “And with XtendFlex soybeans it provides them with the flexibility of additional applications with products that its tolerant to, so dicamba, glyphosate and glufosinate.”
Visit www.XtendFlexsoy.com, or learn more about both XtendFlex and SmartStax PRO by contacting your dealer or local Bayer representative.