Sara Schafer, Farm Journal Business & Crops Online Editor
Multiple pests can feed on your corn plants. While you might not be able to combat them all, Syngenta Seeds is working on a new seed trait that could battle the majority of pests.
Agrisure Viptera is trait that will be integrated into corn hybrids to provide in-seed protection against a vast range of pests.
Bruce Battles, agronomy marketing manager for Syngenta Seeds, says better traits control several pests at once.
In the multi-pest complex, there are six key insects:
- Corn earworm
- Fall armyworm
- Western bean cutworm
- Black cutworm
- Common stalk borer
- Sugarcane borer
With farmers questing for perfect corn ears, Battles says farmers needs to think about controlling numerous pests. “The better job we do at protecting that ear, the less likely other diseases will affect the ear,” he says.
Battles says farmers should expect to see Agrisure Viptera products by the 2010 planting season.
For More Information
Agrisure Viptera
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You can e-mail Sara Schafer at sschafer@farmjournal.com.
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