LibertyLink Soybean Seed Supply Increases
1/22/2010
Pam Smith, Farm Journal Seeds & Production Editor
When the LibertyLink soybean trait launched in 2009, the herbicide tolerant system got an extreme makeover. Bayer CropScience changed the name of the herbicide to Ignite. The product got a new color and new pricing. It gave the trait utility across three crops—cotton, corn and soybeans.
Andy Hurst, Bayer CropScience’s product manager for herbicide traits and Ignite, says the LibertyLink system also brings welcome relief to growers struggling with herbicide resistance issues. Hurst says the launch in 2009 had a good distribution of commercial acres of 300,000 acres with approximately 2000 growers in 20 different states.
“For 2010, seed supply is much improved,” says Hurst. “We did have some harvest issues this past fall, but we think we have enough seed for 1.5 to 2.0 million acres. New varieties in the pipeline look excellent. The maturity ranges are extended from Group 0.5 through Group 5.5—which covers about 85% of the bean acres in the U.S.”
Printer-friendly version
