Bayer launches LibertyLink technology for soybean growers in Brazil

Bayer brings to the Brazilian market for the 2016/2017 crops the technology LibertyLink, inserted on 11 varieties of soybeans, distributed between the soybean seed brands of Bayer. The technology allows the use of herbicide Liberty on post-emergency for the management of weeds without hurting the soybean plants, which already compete directly for space, light, water and nutrients, besides compromising the purity on grain delivery. As there is growing problems in Brazil of weeds resistant to herbicides, this new option for the farmer will be essential for the efficient crop management.

"For us at Bayer, the launch is a new milestone for the soybean seed business in Brazil. Strong investment on innovation and we are committed to bring toll to attend the demands of rural producers that can overcome the challenges in the field. As a company of Science of Life, we are certain that the technology LibertyLink will contribute for the sustainable development of agriculture in Brazil and will be a revolution in the soybean seed market,” highlights Eduardo Mazzieri, Bayer's Seed unit director in Brazil.

Soybeans with the LibertyLink technology can offer the farmers the possibility of the use of herbicides of wide spectrum in all stages of the soybean planting growth, resulting in an effective control of weeds, enabling the productive potential of the crops. “We have worked throughout in the past years in Brazil to develop adapted and high quality varieties, which help farmers to produce better. In a weed management system associated with desiccation, the adoption of a pre-emergent with residual and the herbicide Liberty in post-emergency is a different for the control of the problem in Brazil. There is yet the difficult to control ones,” explains Hugo Borsari, director of Soybean Seed Business unit in Brazil.

The rotation between LibertyLink system and the other available technologies are essential for the sustainability of agricultural production. The farmer should manage well the technology, through the system of crop rotation and can risk to lose the benefits because of the possible development of resistance. “Therefore, besides management of the technology, it is fundamental to manage well the soybean seed bank in the soil. The recommendation is to do the efforts to eliminate or reduce drastically the number of weeds that escaped from control and can produce seeds. Certainly, the LibertyLink technology well be a great ally starting in the next crop,” highlights Borsari.

LibertyLink is recommended for the crop and use on human or animal food in Brazil and several other countries. The protein security inserted to the seeds was extensively evaluated by regulatory authorities in a lot of countries, including Australia, Argentina, Canada, European Union, Japan, South Africa, United States and China. The LibertyLink technology in crops such as corn, colza and cotton was already approved in several countries for years, including in Brazil.

Liberty is an herbicide based on glufosinate ammonium for the weeds control, including the difficult ones and those that resist to the herbicides available in the market currently. The glufosinate ammonium does not have case of resistance registered in Brazil and presents wide spectrum of control for large and narrow weeds.

Besides the effective control of weeds, Liberty is totally selective to the varieties of soybeans with the LibertyLink technology and can be sprayed in any stage of the crop, maintaining the plants free of competition that can interfere significantly on the yields Liberty is an excellent alternative for herbicide rotation and control of weeds.