Bayer: Permanently working on new solutions and innovative technologies for EU oilseed rape

"The loss of neonicotinoids has forced farmers in Europe to rely on older, less beneficial and less effective products with multiple applications, resulting in reduced crop yield and quality," said Andreas Loechel, Global Crop Manager Oilseeds at Bayer in an interview with AgroPages. In this interview, he also introduced Bayer’s solutions to address diseases, insects and weeds of EU oilseed rape.
 
Q1. Could you introduce the overview of EU oilseed rape planting?

In 2016, oilseed rape was grown on about 6.5 million ha across the EU Member States. The main producing countries are France, Germany, Poland and the UK, accounting for roughly 65 percent of the EU’s total planting area. The most marked change has taken place in the UK, where, according to the AHDB Early Bird Survey, the oilseed rape area is set to decline for the fifth consecutive year, touching the lowest in 13 years. The 2017 planting area for oilseed rape has been predicted at 557,000 ha, down four percent, when compared with the 2016 figure. 

Q2. What solutions/pesticides against diseases, insects and weeds of EU oilseed rape have been launched by Bayer?
 
In the EU, Bayer offers the fungicides, Tilmor™, Propulse™, Folicur™, Proline™ and Prosaro™ for use in oilseed rape. As for insecticides, the portfolio includes Biscaya™, Decis™, Proteus™ as well as Mesurol™ for slug and snail control and seed treatments Modesto™ and Elado™. These products are broadly used in all major oilseed rape growing countries. Not all products are needed in all EU countries, and consequently, our registrations follow the national disease and pest control needs. In addition to the existing product portfolio, Bayer is permanently working on new solutions and innovative technologies – for farmers in the EU and beyond.
 
Q3. What do you think of the impact of EU’s neonicotinoid restriction on EU rape oilseed planting?  Does your company have plans to develop relative alternatives of neonicotinoids?
 
After the EU restricted the use of three neonicotinoid insecticides with final effect as of December 2013, there is no seed treatment product available in the region to control the flea beetle in oilseed rape. Other pests like the cabbage root fly lead to further damage and can have a clear negative impact on the final yield. The effects are certainly being felt. A study commissioned by Bayer and Syngenta and conducted by the independent research consultancy HFFA found that the neonicotinoid restrictions are costing the European oilseed rape industry almost EUR 900 million a year, including a yield loss of 4%, which translates to 912,000 tons of oilseed. For oilseed rape farmers alone, market revenue losses are estimated at almost EUR 350 million, not forgetting revenue losses due to lower quality of more than EUR 50 million, close to EUR 120 million in additional production costs and well above EUR 360 million in costs incurred by upstream & downstream industries.

It’s a real pity since long-term practices have shown that the use of neonicotinoid seed treatment is safe when used responsibly and in accordance with the instructions on the label. From a scientific point of view, we see no grounds for the restrictions. The loss of neonicotinoids has forced farmers in Europe to rely on older, less beneficial and less effective products with multiple applications, resulting in reduced crop yield and quality.
 
Bayer is continuously working on providing new data and hopes that the European Commission will reconsider the usage restrictions to give growers the possibility to rely on these important tools again.

At this point in time, it is hard to predict which direction the Commission will take with respect to these restrictions. We expect the Commission to make a proposal in the fourth quarter of 2017, once the report on new scientific information for the three neonicotinoids is published by the European Food Safety Authority.
 
Independent of the Commission’s decision, we are constantly working to introduce new solutions, but this process takes time. On an average, it takes 10-14 years between the first research tests and authorization of a new product and nearly €250 million of costs associated with the discovery, development and registration of a new active substance. For every active substance that is registered for use in the European Union, there are over 140,000 that do not make it past the development stage due to the ever stricter and changing criteria.