Bayer CropScience Raxil WW registered in Western Canada

Raxil® WW, a water-based seed treatment from Bayer CropScience, is now registered to protect cereal crops from wireworm damage in Western Canada.

"We are seeing more occurrences of wireworms in cereal crops, including activity outside the brown soil zone” says Graham Hastie, Manager of Cereal Crops Fungicides/Insecticides & Seed Treatments. “With Raxil WW, growers get the proven disease protection of Raxil MD combined with StressShieldTM which offers insecticidal seed protection of the plant stand from wireworm infestations. Bayer CropScience is excited to launch a superior product into the wireworm marketplace.”

The new formulation of Raxil includes the companys insecticidal product StressShield, which features imidacloprid, better known as an active ingredient in Bayers seed treatment Gaucho.

When wireworms feed on plants treated with Raxil WW they enter into a prolonged coma-like state and stop feeding. Meanwhile, the crop continues growing without suffering the losses from wireworm damage.

"Raxil WW provides growers with a convenient way to defend against yield losses caused by wireworms as well as seed- and soil-borne diseases,” says Hastie. “However, growers need to understand that none of the technologies registered today directly control wireworm populations, but Raxil WW offers a tool to manage wireworm feeding and crop protection.”

In a 2009 article published by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), entomologist Dr. Bob Vernon with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada explains that “wireworms are attracted to CO2, whatever the source. Wireworm populations are high in fields that have had a recent history of pasture and rotations with forages and cereal grains.”

A simple, effective way to check for the presence of wireworms is by using bait balls.

Raxil WW will be available for the 2010 winter wheat growing season from participating Bayer CropScience retails across Western Canada with a full launch planned for 2011.