Bayer: AGRA is an indication of the degree of success of our commercial project

Ralitsa Yanakieva, Manager of Bayer Bulgaria, Crop Science Division, and Zhecho Murzov, Sales Manager, presented to the agricultural journalism community during the exhibition Bayer’s thematic focus at this year’s AGRA – the key plant protection products and technological solutions for the 2016 season in the strategic agricultural crops – cereals, maize and rapeseed. Capreno – a herbicide for controlling mixed weed infestation in maize, is the winner in the AGRA 2016 innovation contest in the category “Fertilizers and preparations for agriculture”.

Ralitsa Yanakieva drew attention to the fact that AGRA is Bayer’s final check before the launch of its current commercial project in 2016. The level of connectivity between promotion, positioning and the future realization of the product portfolio is being tested. The focus this time again is on innovation. At AGRA, Ms. Yanakieva emphasized, our team establishes broad-format contact and active dialogue with many partners from across the country – distributors, customers, specialists and researchers. This professional meeting is a landmark indicator of the valuable qualities of our behavioural model – whether our messages are recognizable, whether our policies and proposals generate interest. Bayer highly values every opinion and every assessment! According to Ralitsa Yanakieva, the partnership dialogue is a basic element in forming a successful commercial concept, the way to adequately manage what is happening in the business. In other words, Ms. Yanakieva stressed, our corporate system for innovation transfer is a super-dynamic structure that is constantly being updated. “Before each season we update and redefine our commercial policy, with the strategic goal of being recognized as necessary partners of the Bulgarian farmer. Of course, the most important element in our corporate engineering is that one component never changes – the opportunity for each of our customers to learn about the new and cutting-edge solutions offered by Bayer and, on this real basis, to structure their informed and profitable choice,” Ms. Yanakieva stated.

Bulgarian agriculture will continue to realize its great growth potential. And Bayer, which is a global leader in the agrochemical and seed industry, will continue to invest responsibly and actively, as it has done so far, in the large-scale transformation, modernization and globalization of Bulgarian agriculture as part of the European agricultural space. “This is our mission,” affirmed Ralitsa Yanakieva.

Zhecho Murzov presented the key innovations and technologies – the recognizable emblem of the Bayer brand. Soligor is a three-component fungicide for controlling all diseases in cereal crops, with preventive, curative and eradicative effect. Prothioconazole, the new generation triazole and part of the active substance, contributes to the excellent effect. Soligor is the product for the first treatment when there is a high infectious background. Furthermore, Soligor also has a powerful effect against ear diseases! It is effective against leaf blight and net blotch in barley. In this case, the price of Soligor should not be underestimated either – for the benefits it offers, it is very attractive, assured Zhecho Murzov!

The top product Zantara is an absolute innovation in global practice. The fungicide – a unique combination of bixafen, the newest group of active ingredients – carboxamides, and the triazole tebuconazole, has a very broad spectrum of activity, stable efficacy and perfect protection of wheat and barley for a long period. Bixafen also has an ultra-powerful physiological effect – SDHI, much stronger and different from the “green effect” of strobilurins – it enhances assimilation processes, increases leaf size, raises yield and improves crop quality. Zantara is not affected by rainfall, moisture or UV radiation.

The next highlight in Bayer’s product list is the herbicide Capreno, a revolutionary technology for reducing risks in maize cultivation and increasing yields from this crop. Bulgaria and Hungary were the first in Europe this year to receive the remarkable privilege of positioning Bayer’s outstanding innovation. Capreno radiates class: it combines the advantages of both foliar and soil action against broadleaf and annual grass weeds, used in the early stages of maize development. Capreno is the standard in terms of tolerance to the maize plant. Its profile incorporates 3 ultra-powerful components – 2 active substances and a safener. The product penetrates the weed plant at lightning speed and moves systemically to all its parts. It is applied together with the adjuvant Mero for fast and even distribution over the leaf surface of the weed.

Over the past two years, interest in the other top-class herbicide in maize – Adengo, has been exceptional. Applied early post-emergence under moisture deficit conditions in 2015, it exceeded all expectations and dispelled any doubts that it could be successful under drought conditions. Its price also attracts attention!

Zhecho Murzov announced yet another piece of news to the audience. A new registration is underway for Bayer’s flagship in weed control in wheat and barley – Secator OD will be applicable up to the flag leaf stage, which is direct proof of its extremely high selectivity.

It is noteworthy that Bayer positions a very powerful strike arsenal against the disease-causing potential in rapeseed. Folicur provides perfect control of phoma in the early stages of crop development and exhibits active growth-regulating functionality in preparing the plants for overwintering. Propulse is Bayer’s latest innovation for comprehensive protection of rapeseed against all diseases during flowering. It guarantees 100% security against sclerotinia and alternaria. It belongs to the group of SDHI fungicides.