Syngenta shows off new products at Farmfest

GILFILLAN, Minn. - Companies roll out what's new at Farmfest and Syngenta had a trio of new products to show off.

Agrisure Viptera, Agrisure Artesian and Syngenta's Aphid Management System were on display along seed row.

Agrisure Viptera controls the most pests in corn trait history, said Ken Franzky, Syngenta field agronomist. It controls 14 pests using both vegetative insecticidal proteins and crystalline proteins. The cry proteins and vegetative insecticidal proteins act differently to kill insects.

Insects controlled include European corn borer, western bean cutworm, western corn rootworm, northern corn rootworm, common stalk borer, fall armyworm and black cutworm.

All of the pests may not be here every year, but they are difficult to scout and difficult to control with insecticide, Franzky said.

The maturity range for Minnesota is covered, from 85 day to 110 day hybrids, Franzky said, however the supply is not unlimited for 2011, the first year of release.

The price is not yet available.

A spreadsheet is in development to help producers gauge if its worthwhile for them to invest in Agrisure Viptera. A refuge will be required.

Agrisure Viptera has been approved for export to Mexico, Canada and Japan. Export approvals for Taiwan and the Philippines are pending.

There are four plots in Minnesota this year, isolated by 660 feet because USDA had not yet granted full export approval. The plots will yield insect awareness data and also yield data.

In testing thus far, yields have increased 4.5 bushels per acre with light ear worm pressure, 14.3 bushels per acre with moderate ear worm pressure and as great as 32 bushels per acre with heavy ear worm pressure with Agrisure Viptera.

Syngenta has out licensed Agrisure Viptera for cotton.

Agrisure Artesian

Agrisure Artesian is not genetically modified, rather it relies on advanced corn breeding techniques to improve the plant's water efficiency.

Syngenta is the first seed company to launch a water optimization corn hybrid, Franzky said. Globally, fresh water is the limiting factor to food production.

There is no yield penalty if there is plenty of moisture and Agrisure Artesian is grown.

Soybeans

Syngenta uses a three-prong system to control aphids in its Aphid Management System.

They start with a soybean that shows resistance to aphids, add CruiserMaxx seed treatment and the Rag1 gene, Franzky said. The Rag1 gene was discovered by researchers at the University of Illinois.

Beneficial insects are allowed to do their work in the absence of insecticide. If however, the aphid population exceeds threshold, Syngenta works with growers on a rescue insecticide treatment.

Research trials have shown 80 percent control of aphids with the Aphid Management System, Franzky said. AMS soybeans were launched in Canada in 2007 and in the United States in 2010.

The plots at Farmfest have the worst-case scenario for AMS soybeans. There are two rows of several varieties planted side-by-side. There are soybeans with 1000s of aphids per plant only four rows away from AMS soybeans that have only a few aphids per plant.

In another plot, the AMS soybeans are planted by themselves. There are few aphids to be found.

"I think the yield potential is going to be absolutely wonderful on these AMS beans," Franzky said.