BASF: Offering a broad portfolio of innovative products and solutions for oilseed rape farming throughout Europe

“We have more than 80 years of experience in the oilseed rape market. BASF helps oilseed rape farmers manage their resources and the complexities of their farming business. Today we are offering a broad portfolio of innovative products and solutions for oilseed rape farming throughout Europe,” Yannick Griveau, Head of Crop Management Oilseeds & Legumes - Europe, Africa, Middle East, Central Asia of BASF Crop Protection, told AgroPages in a recent interview. He also shared his viewpoint on the impact of EU’s neonicotinoids restriction on EU rape oilseed planting and alternatives.

Q1. What solutions/pesticides against diseases, insects and weeds of EU oilseed rape have been launched by BASF Crop Protection?

BASF is offering a complete range of products, right from herbicides including the Clearfield® production system, fungicides to insecticides in all European countries. Important markets are France, Germany, Poland and the UK.

We are not selling seeds but we work in close collaboration with partners, especially for the Clearfield® production system.

Dry conditions during last autumn, coupled with a ban on neonicotinoids, have led to a slight decline in the oilseed rape sown area. Nevertheless, oilseed rape is a key crop for farm profitability and to maintain a robust crop rotation cycle.

Weeds compete with the oilseed rape crop for water and nutrients. This results in a reduction in the yield potential of the crop. Additionally, some weeds transport pathogens and represent extra challenges for the growers when it comes to crop rotation. Removing or reducing the vigor of weeds allows small oilseed rape plants to establish well and more quickly.

Oilseed rape performance is affected by a range of harmful pathogens. Attention to detail is important, as in combining cultural methods, including choice of variety, and rotation with modern chemistry and a high-quality decision support system.

Within BASF, we have more than 80 years of experience in the oilseed rape market. BASF helps oilseed rape farmers manage their resources and the complexities of their farming business.

Today we are offering a broad portfolio of innovative products and solutions for oilseed rape farming throughout Europe, including for example:

• Herbicides:
– Butisan Star/Butisan Top: The herbicide Butisan® is taken up by the roots, and also by the leaves when applied post-emergence. Pre-emergence application results in active ingredients being taken up by the germinating weeds, killing them before emergence or very shortly thereafter.
– Springbok: The herbicide Springbok can be used in various programs. It contains the active ingredient Dimethenamid-P which adds additional weed spectrum control. It may be applied pre or post emergence of the crop but for optimum activity, application must be before the weeds emerge.
– Shadow: A residual and contact acting herbicide offering effective control for grasses and broad leaved weeds. Three active ingredients provide a wide spectrum of weed control in oilseed rape including cleavers, poppy, and cranes-bill.

• Fungicides:
– Efilor®: The innovation for a flexible fungicide strategy in oilseed rape. Efilor® fights all oilseed rape diseases and can be also used as a growth regulator for protecting oilseed rape plants.
– Carax®: This fungicide is optimal for winter killing protection and canopy management. Carax® offers disease control in autumn and spring. It supports the optimal development of oilseed rape.
– Pictor®: This fungicide is for spring use to control light leaf spot, Sclerotinia stem rot, stem canker, Alternaria dark leaf and pod spot.
– Cantus®: Cantus® is a protective fungicide for use when flowering but also in autumn or spring. This product can help control a broad range of diseases listed on its label.  

• Insecticides:
– Fastac® SC: The insecticide that acts against many crop pests following contact or ingestion. It provides greatest efficacy against pests of various crops, including oilseed rape.

• Clearfield® production system for oilseed rape: Clearfield oilseed rape is a production system combining high-quality hybrid seed with innovative BASF herbicides. The system is a new way to approach weed control in oilseed rape, allowing true post-emergence broad-spectrum activity. With a continuing positive outlook for oilseed rape grain, excellent performance on difficult weeds like charlock will bring new opportunities to grow the crop on the farm. Using traditional plant breeding, varieties are being produced by a range of seed companies and grower will have a wide range to choose from.

We offer a range of Clearfield herbicides across Europe and the CIS region. These are approved for use on oilseed rape hybrids carrying the Clearfield brand. The Clearfield hybrids + unique herbicide offer many advantages over conventional oilseed rape growing systems, including full weed spectrum, timing flexibility and excellent crop safety. In particular, these hybrids are not sensitive to sulfonylurea residue in the soil, a big advantage in case of a dry spring or summer.    

We are constantly improving, our technically advanced products, services, processes and solutions for oilseed rape farming.

Q2. What do you think of the impact of the EU’s neonicotinoid restriction on EU rape oilseed planting?

We do not sell neonicotinoids in the EU, nor has our insecticide fipronil been used for foliar treatment. The neonicotinoid restriction seems to cause much concern to growers who relied on it for Flea Beetle management. Flea Beetle can be particularly damaging during the early stages of crop emergence. In 2016, there have been many reports of crops failing as a result of the pest attacking the young seedlings and there being a lack of effective control. We continuously monitor the regulatory situation since the growers and the industry as a whole need an effective control against this pest.   

Q3. What are the best alternatives for neonicotinoids? Does your company have plans to develop any related alternatives?

Alternative foliar insecticides are still available against Flea Beetle. However, this is not a full solution. Effective crop rotation, planting date and variety vigor now have a much more important part to play in ensuring the crops are well established and grow quickly past the early development stage when the risk of crop damage is the greatest. We are investigating how our Clearfield oilseed rape technology can help with maximizing early growth vigor, hence reducing damages caused by Flea Beetle attacks.