Bayer CropScience announced that it will launch a revolutionary new biocontrol seed treatment in corn, soybeans and cotton for the 2011 season.

Select growers and seed companies will be able to test Votivo biological seed treatment on their farms in 2010 for a firsthand look at its unique protective properties, says product manager Paul Hewitt.

“Votivo will be unlike anything that’s on the market right now,” Hewitt says. “It makes use of a beneficial bacteria that renders nematodes irrelevant through biocontrol methods.”

Simply put, Hewitt says, Votivo creates a living barrier around plant roots so nematodes have limited access to feed. The safe, stable formulation allows endospores of the bacteria to be applied directly to the seed. When that seed is planted, the endospores are activated and Votivo begins its work.

“When the seed is planted, the environmental conditions needed to trigger seed germination also trigger spore germination,” Hewitt says. “From that point on, the bacteria grows exponentially, creating a living barrier of protection around seedling roots. When nematodes come looking for food, the roots are already surrounded by Votivo.”

Votivo provides enough protection to withstand early season nematode feeding, when damage potential is highest. And because it blocks nematodes rather than attacking them, Votivo is effective against all major plant-parasitic nematodes, including lance, lesion, needle, root-knot and soybean cyst nematodes.

The resulting protection leads to better seedling vigor and higher yield potential, Hewitt says.

“We’ve looked at a lot of research trials this past season, and we plan on conducting many more in 2010 as we prepare for a 2011 launch,” Hewitt says. “A 3-year data summary shows average yield advantages of 7.1 bushels per acre in corn, 1.3 bushels per acre in soybeans and 62 pounds per acre in cotton when Votivo is added to current leading seed treatment packages.”