Bayer continues to conquer new horizons in Bulgarian agriculture

Innovative Solutions – Autumn Campaign 2015

"Although Bayer CropScience is a world leader in the selection of oilseed rape seeds, it is still unknown to the Bulgarian and European market. Our ambition is to achieve serious positions in this sector because we have all the prerequisites for it," said Ralitsa Yanakieva, Business Manager, at the company's professional meeting with leading agricultural producers and clients from the country, held at Park Hotel Stara Zagora on 09.09.2015. The focus of the event was not only the company's new hybrid seeds but also the current crop protection proposals for the autumn season and climatic conditions in agricultural practice.

The presentation of the company's innovative portfolio was given by Ivelin Tonchev, Manager of Technical Development and Registrations at Bayer CropScience Bulgaria. For his guests, he told the story of rapeseed and the various attempts and practices in its selection both in Europe and worldwide. Our continent is declared one of the five regions where rapeseed is most cultivated. Traditional leaders in the production of this crop are the USA and Canada. The ranking is led by America's northern neighbor, whose production is with seeds of rapeseed varieties/hybrids, selected by Bayer. In the USA and Canada, production is predominantly with rapeseed hybrids obtained through genetic modification methods. To increase its market share in the supply of conventional rapeseed seeds in Europe, as a start – in 2012, Bayer purchased a very good German breeding company – Raps (part of the Rapool group). The company's goal is not only to increase its market positioning in Europe but also to develop and improve its selections according to specific geographical regions, including for Bulgaria. When developing new hybrids, the company focuses on their resistance to diseases such as sclerotinia, verticillium, and phoma.

Ivelin Tonchev showed results from the production of some of Bayer's rapeseed hybrids, obtained under real production conditions in the area of an agricultural producer from the town of Loznitsa. He emphasized the qualities of the hybrids that showed the best results for Bulgaria's conditions in this region: Bagira, Puncher, and Brentano, Jumper, Elmer CL.

The advantages of the German company's rapeseed are distinguished by several main characteristics that make them quite successful. "First of all, they are extremely plastic in terms of genetics and show very good and stable yields in different regions of the country. Another thing that distinguishes our hybrids is that they have a very good start, a very good habit, very good plant development already in the autumn, they overwinter successfully and continue in the same way in the spring. The prostrate rosette of the plants, which prevents the leaves from breaking from possible snowfalls, is another advantage of our hybrids," Tonchev shared with the gathered audience.

Hybrid Bagira has excellent yield potential. A medium-early hybrid that is very well adapted to Bulgaria's conditions. The results from trials conducted over two consecutive years (2014-2015) in various regions of the country show that Bagira performs with very good, stable, and even yields. Bagira develops a very powerful plant already in the autumn. The hybrid is distinguished by a very well-prostrate leaf rosette.

Hybrid Brentano is from the medium-early group but differs from Bagira with later flowering. This makes it more suitable for some regions of the country where later spring frosts occur, e.g., in Northeastern Bulgaria. The hybrid is very plastic and performs with stable yields in all regions of the country.

Hybrid Puncher is from Bayer's newest selection and is a representative of the medium-late hybrids. It is distinguished by very good yield potential and very high resistance to phoma, a disease that attacks rapeseed already in the autumn. The hybrid has a high oil content in the seeds, also possesses very good plasticity, and in different regions of the country performs with very good and stable yields.

Hybrid Jumper has good lodging resistance and has the potential for high yields. Requires intensive technology.

Hybrid Elmer CL is from the medium-early group, distinguished by plasticity and characterized by early, drawn-out flowering. This provides an advantage for the plants in Bulgaria's conditions, allowing them to be a few days ahead of the drier and unfavorable periods for rapeseed flowering. As a result, pollination is better and more seeds are set in the pods.

Bayer's Future Plans in the Field of Selection

Next year, Bayer will also offer a new selection of hybrids from the Invigor line. They are selected using Canadian experience and therefore are distinguished by incredible yield potential under Bulgaria's conditions. The selection will be entirely conventional, not GMO, as it is in the USA and Canada.

The company has developed and patented a new genetic marker for pod shatter resistance, an important indicator for harvesting the crop without losses before and during harvest.

Fungicides

Tilmor is the newest fungicide with plant growth regulator effect for rapeseed, which is already on the market. It can be applied in autumn at 80 – 100 ml at the 5-8 leaf stage, as well as in spring at the beginning of vegetation. Tilmor differs from Folicur in its active substance, which is prothioconazole. Developed specifically against the disease phoma, the fungicide builds upon the good qualities of previous products and adds another level of efficacy in crop protection.

At the agro meeting, the company's star product, bearing the name Junto Quattro, was not missed. "The product combines, on one hand, two very good fungicides that perfectly control root rot + other standard root diseases and net blotch, and on the other hand, two insecticides that provide many advantages in today's challenging production environment in Bulgaria," explained Zhecho Murzov, Sales Manager at Bayer CropScience Bulgaria. This year will be very favorable for the development of aphids on wheat and barley, and from this point of view, Junto Quattro would be the perfect solution for this problem. This ensures long-lasting protection of plants right from their emergence. Interestingly regarding Junto Quattro is that it also controls cereal flies very well, in addition, it has very good action against wireworm and cereal ground beetle.

Bayer did not miss the opportunity to present the already familiar seed treatment product Lamador, which, in addition to types of root rot, perfectly controls types of smut, and also has very good action against net blotch in barley.

Innovations and again with Bayer in the autumn of 2015!

source: Farmer.BG