USA: Bayer introduce new biologic Poncho VOTiVO 2.0 to corn seed treatments

A recognized name in corn seed treatments is getting — and giving — a boost with a new biologic product.

“In Poncho VOTiVO 2.0, we have an opportunity to bring innovation in the sense that we are introducing a new biologic to the mix,” said Nick Tinsley, seed growth technical representative with Bayer CropScience.

Poncho has been around and has been a name that growers trust when it comes to seed treatments for corn. The new biologic will help young plants utilize the nutrients stored in organic matter.

“We are able to use this bacteria to start breaking down organic matter in the soil. A lot of nutrients get tied up with organic matter. By using the enzyme with this bacteria, we are able to start making those nutrients available to the microbes that are already in the soil,” Tinsley said.

It’s a bit of a switch for a product that is known for its abilities to protect corn seed and the young seedling from pests.

“It’s very exciting that we are offering a product here that isn’t necessarily targeting a pest as much as helping those plants grow and reach their yield potential,” Tinsley said.

In addition to the new mode of action, the Poncho VOTiVO 2.0 product offers the same protections against insects from the moment the seed is placed in the soil.

“We have the same trusted protection against insects and nematodes that Poncho VOTiVO has always provided, but with this new biologic, we are able also to focus on other aspects, like soil health, that we really haven’t targeted before,” Tinsley said.


The biologic can get right to work and insure that the organic matter and the nutrients included in it are made available directly to the seed.

“There’s this reservoir of nutrients that eventually will be tapped by those plants, but this is a way that we can have that seed treatment on the seed, working right where we need it, next to that plant, kind of locally enhancing the nutrient cycling right around that root system,” Tinsley said.

He said that results from plot trials and tests have been positive.

“On average, we’ve tested it over the past four years in a big way, and we’ve seen about a 3.8 bushel improvement over the standard Poncho VOTiVO, so that’s very good. Almost as important, we’ve see great consistency with the product,” he said.

Tinsley said Poncho VOTiVO 2.0 will be available as a corn seed treatment in 2018 in a limited area.

“It will be available in the 2018 growing season through select seed partners, including Beck’s Hybrids, then the hope is to take it more broadly after this growing season,” he said.