Canada granted label expansion for Bayer’s ILeVO seed treatment for nematode suppression in soybeans

Bayer recently announced that their ILeVO™ seed treatment is now approved for use in soybeans with the additional label claim of nematode suppression. Originally released as the first seed treatment available for soybean growers to protect against Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), the expansion provides growers with another valuable tool in suppressing soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) and root lesion nematodes.

“SDS and SCN are two of the top yield robbers in soybean production today,” says David Kikkert, Crop & Campaign Marketing Manager, Soybeans & Pulses at Bayer. “The label expansion means that growers are able to combat two serious threats to their soybean crop with one tool, leading to better product efficiency and, ultimately, better crop yields.”

SCN in particular is difficult to see and diagnose, and can reduce soybean yields up to 30 per cent even without visual symptoms. Populations of SCN are on the rise, and even resistant varieties of soybeans are becoming more susceptible. A seed treatment like ILeVO protects the seed and roots in the seed zone, making it a valuable compliment to genetic resistance.

In Ontario, where SCN is more widespread, estimated losses due to SCN range from 10-30 million dollars annually. Fortunately, in 2015 and 2016, Ontario field trials demonstrated that ILeVO offered an average yield benefit of 3.6 bu/acre in nematode pressure areas. This is further supported by 338 variety locations run by universities from 2011-2016 in the United States and Canada, which showed an ILeVO yield benefit of 4.7 bu/acre over non ILeVO treatments.