US: Saltro fungicide seed treatment from Syngenta proves strong first year impact

In September 2019, Syngenta announced registration of the seed treatment Saltro^® fungicide. Now that Saltro has completed its first growing season of commercial use, growers have experienced firsthand the benefits of superior protection against Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and nematodes, and they like what they see.

Soybean comparison in Valmeyer, Illinois, 2020

Formulated to deliver superior protection against SDS and nematodes without causing plant stress, Saltro contains Adepidyn^® Technology an extremely powerful SDHI mode of action, which outperforms older fungicide chemistries and provides higher potential yield. This protection allows plants to reach their full genetic yield potential.

Eric Scheller, a grower in Evansville, Indiana, split a field between Saltro and ILEVO^® in 2020 and said the difference was visible even from the highway.

“The beans treated with Saltro were coming out of the ground a lot more uniform. They were a stage ahead of the ILEVO-treated beans that we had next to them,” said Scheller. “All year, they looked better — a deeper, darker color and overall stand time to canopy. And then in the fall, we saw a noticeable yield advantage — 5 to 10 bushels better. We've seen a lot of positives in plant stand and uniformity, and that is where we got yield, for sure. I think Saltro is the next step in technology that we need to move forward.” 

Saltro also delivers robust activity across a broad spectrum of nematode species, including Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) — the No. 1 yield-robbing pest in soybeans and a major contributor to SDS infection.

Severe SDS infection can cause up to 50% yield loss¹, and SCN has cost about $1.5 billion in U.S. yield loss². Although soybeans can outgrow the side effects from early-season aboveground stress, they may not fully recover from the lower yield potential caused by belowground stress affecting the roots. Since Saltro provides protection against both, it complements SDS- and SCN-resistant varieties to help soybeans maximize their yield potential.

“SDS is an early-season disease that doesn’t show up until after the plant’s infected, and you have virtually no options to combat the diseases after infection,” said Jeremy Patterson, a grower in Osage, Iowa. Patterson grows soybeans for seed production and has new varieties on his farm every year. He keeps a close eye out for SDS and proactively uses fungicide seed treatments to try to limit potential yield loss from disease. This year, he saw up to a 2 bu/A yield increase with Saltro over ILEVO, even with low SDS pressure.

As a testament to its strong first year, Saltro earned an Agrow Award in the category, Best Crop Protection Product of 2020. Scored by a diverse 10-judge panel, these awards showcase leading advancements in agriculture and best-in-class scientific, technological and leadership initiatives. 

“We are very proud to offer Saltro to growers and honored to be recognized by Agrow,” said Paul Oklesh, product lead for Syngenta Seedcare. “Saltro is an important addition to soybean planting because it provides SCN and SDS protection without making growers sacrifice early-season plant health. Now soybeans are getting not only a new standard of SDS protection, but also a strong start upon emergence, and both help drive higher potential yield.”

Saltro helps growers combat disease with less inputs and offset variable environmental conditions associated with the existential threat of climate change. Through the Syngenta Good Growth Plan, Syngenta continues to honor its commitments to secure the future of agriculture and our planet’s ecosystems. 

¹ https://extension.umn.edu/pest-management/sudden-death-syndrome-soybean

² https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/soybean/diseases_SCNbiology.html