BASF unveils Poncho Votivo Precise seed treatment – offering combination protection from damaging nematodes and insects

Date:10-24-2023

Nematodes are the leading cause of soybean yield loss in the United States, costing growers an estimated $1.5 billion in yield annually.[1] These microscopic organisms are present in most areas where soybeans are grown, and because they feed on the roots of the plant, the damage caused by nematodes is often invisible without any aboveground symptoms. With the release of Poncho^® Votivo^® Precise seed treatment (clothianidin + Bacillus firmus I-1582), BASF Agricultural Solutions provides soybean growers with another way to defend their fields from multiple generations of nematodes, increasing early-season crop vigor and maximizing yield potential.

Poncho Votivo Precise seed treatment creates a living biological barrier that grows with the root, preventing damage from a wide range of nematode species and encouraging plant growth. Enhanced root growth and biomass at key development stages is critical to increasing yield potential, and Poncho Votivo Precise seed treatment supports a strong start to the season.

″Protection from nematodes is paramount to maximizing soybean growth and yield potential,″ said Troy Bauer, BASF Senior Field Technical Representative, Seed Treatments. ″Poncho Votivo Precise seed treatment is unique in that it combines a biological and insecticide. The biological grows with the root system to protect the soybean from nematodes while the insecticide delivers immediate protection from key insect pests.″ 

Poncho Votivo Precise seed treatment also supports early-season plant vigor by providing strong performance against a broad spectrum of damaging insects and pests – both above and below the ground. The insecticidal active ingredient delivers immediate efficacy from key early-season insects including aphids, seed corn maggots, bean leaf beetle, white grubs and grape colaspis. 

BASF Agricultural Solutions continues to provide industry-leading protection from nematodes for growers doing the Biggest Job on Earth. The impact of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) in soybeans can be exacerbated by nematode pressures, making it critical to manage SDS and nematodes with Poncho Votivo Precise or ILEVO^® seed treatments depending on your field pressure.

[1] 2015-2021 Crop Protection Network annual soybean cyst nematode (SCN) estimated yield loss at commodity price ($14/bu.)