Crop protection begins in the laboratory - Bayer CropScience

COURIER
The Bayer CropScience Magazine for Modern Agriculture 1/09
Crop protection begins
in the laboratory

Contents
2 From the test tube to the field
8 There’s a lot new going on in
in maize herbicides
12 Belt thoroughly spoils
caterpillars’ appetite
14 How fungicides work
18 More than just passing on
product know-how
22 Grapes with the best
reputation
From the test
to the field
The development of a new
crop protection agent,
taking Laudis as an example
26 Rust protection for wheat
Published by: Bayer CropScience AG, Monheim / Editor:
Bernhard Grupp / With contributions from: Agroconcept
GmbH, K. Doughty, M. Wiedenau / Design and Layout:
Xpertise, Langenfeld / Litho graphy: LSD GmbH & Co.
KG, Düsseldorf / Printed by: K-Druck GmbH & Co. KG,
Mönchengladbach / Repro duction of contents is permissible
providing Bayer is acknowl edged and advised by
specimen copy / Editor’s address: Bayer CropScience AG,
Corporate Commu ni cations, Alfred-Nobel-Str. 50, 40789
Monheim am Rhein, Germany, FAX: 0049-2173-383454 /
Website: www.bayercropscience.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This publication may contain forward-looking statements
based on current assumptions and forecasts made by
Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could
lead to material differences between the actual future
results, financial situation, development or performance of
the company and the estimates given here. These factors
include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which
are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The
company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these
forward-looking statements or to conform them to future
events or developments.
Each year, Bayer CropScience offers the world’s
farmers two to three brand-new active substances.
One recent example is tembotrione, the
active substance behind the innovative maize
herbicide Laudis. The story of its development
illustrates the path travelled by a new substance
from the laboratory to the market. Recognising
the farmers’ needs, and ensuring the safety of
the product to consumers and the environment
are both central to this story.
2 COURIER 1/09

tube
The Austrian farmers Kurt Fischer (above) and Karl Luger were among the first to use the
new maize herbicide Laudis. They quickly learned to appreciate the product’s advantages.
Kurt Fischer is enthusiastic: “As far as I’m
concerned: the new Laudis ® Plus is simply
the best!” The Austrian farmer was among
the first to test Bayer CropScience’s new
maize herbicide in practice last season, not
only on his own farm in Niederneukirchen,
but also on a broader area of 600 hectares.
“If I’m applying a maize herbicide
on several holdings, I’m quite choosy as
to which one I use. Rapid rainfastness is a
pre-condition for high efficacy”, he emphasises.
Laudis didn’t just impress him in this
regard. He points out a further advantage of
this innovative product: “Good crop compatibility
is an absolute must for me. Laudis
scores points here, too”. His colleague
Karl Luger, another farmer from Austria,
describes his position in just a few words:
“At the moment, nothing can beat Laudis as
far as I’m concerned”.
These two farmers aren’t alone. In the
year of its market introduction, Laudis has
proven its worth on numerous maize fields
in Austria and neighbouring Hungary.
Karl Neubauer, Head of Development at
Bayer CropScience Austria, summarizes
the experience of his compatriots: “First
use in farming practice has confirmed to
the letter the experience we had previously
gathered in six years of trials. Farmers
who applied Laudis in 2007 gave us very
positive feedback, both with respect to the
speed and extent of control, and with regard
to crop compatibility”. In the meanwhile,
Laudis and further products based on the
new active substance tembotrione have
ventured beyond Europe’s borders. Maize
growers in the USA, Brazil and other countries
have recently begun to put their trust
in the herbicide.
New modes of action
One person who has carefully followed
the world-wide success of Laudis and its
stable mates is Dr. Andreas van Almsick,
the chemist who discovered the active substance
tembotrione. “It’s always something
special for a researcher to watch a new
substance overcome all of the hurdles that
arise during development, and then go on
1/09 COURIER 3

The active substance tembotrione was discovered by Dr. Andreas van Almsick. His assistant Kerstin Ulrich was
the first to synthesize the active substance.
The active substance tembotrione belongs to the HPPD-inhibitor
as “bleachers”, because of their whitening action.
to prove its worth in practice” he explains.
For the path from the test-tube to the field
is a long and stony one, as van Almsick
and his researcher colleagues know from
experience.
Several hundred chemists and laboratory
assistants work tirelessly in Bayer
CropScience’s laboratories in order to find
innovative active substances for crop protection
agents. There is a permanent need
for new herbicides, insecticides and fungicides,
because weeds, insect pests and
fungal pathogens are very quick to develop
resistance against products that have
been on the market for any time. Moreover,
crop protection researchers at Bayer
CropScience are committed to a continuous
process of improvement of the safety
profile of products bearing the Bayer cross.
The aim is to develop active substances that
convince not only through their efficacy,
but also through their safety to the farmer,
the consumer and the environment.
In order to realize this aim, Bayer Crop-
Science’s researchers synthesize many
thousands of new substances each year.
Some of the scientists are looking for
novel substances, particularly those with
new modes of action. Others are scrutinizing
known classes of active substances for
undiscovered potential. Van Almsick is
among the latter – as leader of the Dicotyledon
Research Group, he is specialized
in a particular group of herbicidal active
substances, known to scientists as HPPDinhibitors,
but to the farmer as “bleachers”,
because of the fact that target weeds whiten
after treatment.
Active substance discovery
and optimisation
The same underlying principle of action
applies to all herbicides in this class: the
inhibition of a particular enzyme that is
found in plant leaves, which then results in
the blocking of carotenoid synthesis. This
in turn removes the “shield” that protects
the leaf tissues against UV light: the UVrays
can more easily penetrate through to
the chloroplasts, where they destroy the
green pigment within them, thereby disrupting
photosynthesis. The end-result is
that the target weed dies off.
“But until 1997, “bleachers” seemed
to have reached their limit”, according to
van Almsick. It was in that year that the
researcher first discovered that a particular
class of substances known as the triketones
had a much higher potential than had previously
been realised. “We anticipated that
we would be able to control not only broadleaved
weeds successfully, but also difficult
weed grasses such as green bristlegrass
and barnyardgrass” says the researcher.
This was reason enough to take another
good look at the basic structure and to adapt
the molecules in a targeted way in order to
improve their properties: the aim was to
achieve an active substance with the lowest
possible application rate, but which is
nevertheless capable of rapid and efficient
uptake by as many target weeds as possible,
so that it can express its activity in the leaf
tissues.
Several laboratory teams joined in the
effort: each team synthesized up to 400
compounds each year. And they hit lucky:
after only a year, the researchers had a substance
in their hands that would continue
along the path of success as tembotrione.
But van Almsick and his colleagues
didn’t know this at the time. The substance
was still known by its experimental number
AE 0172747 (actually simply as 747 among
Simplified schematic presentation of a highly complex process.
4 COURIER 1/09

group of compounds. Farmers refer to them
Dr. Erwin Hacker led the field trials programme for the new herbicide Laudis.
the researchers) and was only one among a
number of other promising substances that
had been selected for closer scrutiny. They
all had one thing in common: each of them
had demonstrated itself to be a potential
development candidate through its performance
in preliminary studies conducted
in Bayer CropScience’ glasshouses at the
Frankfurt-Hoechst industrial site; specifically
in tests against a selection of weed
grasses and broad-leaved weeds typically
encountered in maize cultivation.
Top marks in glasshouse tests
The answer to the question: ‚does the substance
work – and does it work better than
the current HPPD-standard’ was a clear
‚yes’. This is a decisive criterion in modern
crop protection research, even though it is
actually only the first step. „It’s then very
important to establish whether the crop
plant itself is damaged by the substance,
and if so, whether there is anything we can
do about it“, is how van Almsick describes
the next challenge.
If the crop is indeed affected, then Bayer
CropScience’s herbicide researchers have
got a very strong card to play – the „safeners“.
These substances possess the potential,
as it were, to „immunise“ crop plants
against the herbicide. The researchers
didn’t take any chances during the development
of tembotrione: they brought in
safener technology at a very early stage.
These substances allow the crop plants to
metabolise the active substance, thereby
retaining their protective carotene layer.
Development of crop protection products
Chemistry
Years
Research
Development
Formulation
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 € (mill.)
Substance
synthesis
Kilolab
Development
Process of development
Packaging development
Production*
66
Safety/environment Biology
Research
Development
Metabolism and residues
Toxicology
Ecotoxicology
Screening
Lab/Greenhouse
Field trials (throughout the world)
Plants, animals, soil, water, air
Acut and chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity,
mutagenicity, teratogenicity, reproduction
Algae, daphnia, fish, birds, bees, microorganisms,
beneficial organisms, non-target organisms
Official assessment
of registration dossier
Registration
and sales
65
69
Substances 100,000 1
All steps are guided by effective project management.
*without costs for production facilities
200
1/09 COURIER 5

It was possible to prove that this was
indeed the case in early trials in the glasshouse.
Thereafter, it was the task of biologists
in Dr. Hermann Bieringer’s group
to take the lead in answering a variety of
further questions. Does the new substance
work at least as well as the current reference
product How quickly does it act
Are as many of the crop’s weedy competitors
controlled as possible – particularly
the most noxious among them It was
necessary to clarify these questions and
many others for substance 747 and related
compounds. It is during the glasshouse
trials phase that the wheat gets separated
from the chaff. For it is at this stage that
the decision is made which development
candidates should make the jump into field
trials – a hurdle that number 747 took as
one of only 16 field candidates, and by no
means the best of them from the start. The
biologist and later pre-project leader Dr.
Hansjörg Krähmer suspects why: “It’s not
as bright in the glasshouse as it is in full
daylight. And HPPD-inhibitors need a lot
of light.”
Field trials – the acid test
Field trials in the open environment are
where every new active substance must
show that it can deliver what it promises.
And at Bayer CropScience, high demands
are made – because in the end, farmers
around the world must come to trust in the
products-to-be. This is why new substances
are tested under a range of different conditions
right from the start – in the Northern
Hemisphere as well as in the Southern; on
different soil types; and under diverse climatic
conditions. Herbicides must prove
themselves against the naturally-occurring
spectrum of weeds. Moreover, weeds growing
in the field tend to be more robust than
those growing in the glasshouse.
Substance 747 soon won a head-start
in the field trials programme led by Dr.
Erwin Hacker. Only a single substance was
stronger in its activity. “But we were unable
to protect the maize plant completely from
this substance“, reports van Almsick. With
747, things were different: “In combination
with isoxadifen, the safener we had selected
for it, we were able to achieve a previously
unsurpassed level of crop compatibility” is
how he summarizes the impressive result.
6 COURIER 1/09

Scientists investigate the behaviour of products
in soil, water and the air, as well as in plants and
animals, in order to be able to guarantee the highest
possible level of product safety and environmental
compatibility.
And on all tested maize varieties to boot.
This was also an important finding for its
later use in agricultural practice: for every
farmer is pleased to be able to rely on a single
product for use on a range of varieties.
Moreover, the data showed that the active
substance 747 is capable of controlling an
unusually wide spectrum of broadleaved
and grass weeds, from creeping thistle to
ladysthumb and from barnyardgrass to burmarigold.
Extensive catalogue
of questions
So the active substance had proven itself
to be as promising in terms of efficacy and
spectrum-of-action as it was in terms of
crop compatibility. But is it also safe for
the user and harmless to the consumer, and
how does it behave in the environment
Which formulation is best, and how can
the active substance be produced most economically
These matters are already being
addressed in the early research phases.
They are right at the forefront from the
very start of the global development of
every new crop protection agent. Substance
747 reached this important milestone two
years after its first synthesis and went on to
take further hurdles with style over the following
years. The company’s formulation
technologists were able to develop a form
of application that farmers really appreciate
in practice: the herbicide quickly reaches
its target in the plant – so quickly that it
is rainfast after only an hour. During the
period of development, it was also time to
select a name: in 2006, number 747 became
the development candidate tembotrione.
Hundreds of studies and thousands of field
trials were done around the world to address
considerations of the safety and compatibility
of the new herbicide. “We want to,
and must, answer these questions before
we bring a promising product onto the
market”, explains Dr. Thomas Wegmann,
who, as Project Leader, was responsible
for the global development of tembotrione.
“For us it is entirely clear that we must meet
the strict legal demands that are made of
crop protection agents in terms of safety
and environmental compatibility”, he adds.
And not just because it is a precondition
for permission to sell. “Bayer CropScience,
like the Bayer company as a whole, is committed
to meeting its responsibility towards
people and the environment”, emphasises
the trained chemist Wegmann. “Alongside
pharmaceuticals, crop protection agents are
among the best-investigated products in
terms of activity, safety and environmental
behaviour.”
Safety for people and
the environment
This is also illustrated by the development
of tembotrione. Over a period of more than
three years, Bayer CropScience experts
conducted intensive investigations of the
fate and behavior of the active substance in
plants and animals, and in soil, water and
the air. Thanks to precise methodology,
modern science is able to track the path
followed by the active substance closely.
Even the tiniest traces of possible residues
can be detected and identified. Moreover,
these investigations don’t only consider the
active substance itself; as this changes and
degrades, intermediate metabolites are also
investigated. “Ideally, an active substance
will degrade in the end to carbon dioxide
and water”, is how Wegmann describes the
aim of all crop protection researchers. Well
over 1,000 studies are done to document
the compound’s compatibility and safety.
“Our recommendations as to how the
substance should be applied are built on
the results of these studies. If farmers follow
the recommendations, then they stay
on the side of safety”, emphasises Wegmann.
With Laudis, that won’t be difficult.
Because within as little as a few hours of
application, no traces of active substance
can be detected in the maize plant – and this
is several months before the maize harvest.
“On the basis of toxicological studies, and
by applying extremely conservative risk
assessments and model calculations, we
are able to guarantee that the use of the
product according to recommendations
presents no risk to the farmer or the consumer”,
explains the Project Leader. “All
of the scenarios considered have additional
safety factors built into them, in order to be
able to exclude any risk”, he emphasises.
Farmers and consumers can also trust
the Laudis active substance tembotrione
in terms of environmental compatibility.
“Our studies have shown that beneficial
insects are not affected, and that the active
substance neither contaminates groundwater,
nor does it accumulate in the soil,” he
summarises. The latter is also important
for economic reasons, because the farmer
wants to know that his succeeding crops
will not be inhibited in their growth after
he has applied Laudis during the previous
season. n
Iris Freundorfer
1/09 COURIER 7

There’s a lot
new going on
in maize
herbicides
In 2008, Bayer CropScience introduced the new,
selective maize herbicide Laudis in the USA. With
considerable success – despite the fact that herbicidetolerant
maize already dominates the market there,
and continues to grow in importance. With its strategy
confirmed, Bayer CropScience is continuing its innovation
initiative with further new maize herbicides.
The demand for maize has increased significantly
in recent years. In 2007, global
production of feed maize climbed to 785
million tonnes – jump of 85 million tonnes,
or twelve percent, over the preceding year.
The USA for example can look back at
two record years in terms of maize production:
farmers sowed more than 37 million
hectares to maize in 2007, and 35 million
hectares in 2008 – the two highest annual
sowings since 1946. The 2007 harvest was
also a record: 13.1 thousand million bushels
(about 332 million tonnes), with which
the USA contributed around 42 percent of
total global maize production. In 2008, the
yield was still as much as twelve thousand
million bushels.
Dan Studer, who farms in north-east
Kansas near the town of Frankfort, has been
extending his sowings to maize in recent
years at the expense of millet. “Maize is
easier to deal with”, comments Studer, a
farmer of 40 years’ experience. He originally
started off with 30 hectares of land:
nowadays he farms a total of 600 hectares,
a mixture of his own and leased land, on
which he grows approximately equal areas
of maize, soybean and winter wheat.
Those US farmers who, like Studer,
have recently concentrated on growing
maize have been rewarded by the market.
Whereas traders were paying an average of
two dollars a bushel in 2005, the figure was
double that in 2007. And the price continued
to climb in 2008, reaching a temporary
high of well over seven dollars by July.
Even though the price had fallen again
by the time of the peak harvesting period,
2008 was still another good year for maize
8 COURIER 1/09

The global demand for maize products is growing.
In 2008, the USA contributed around 42 percent
of all maize production worldwide.
growers in the USA. Demand had been
stimulated by the increased use of maize in
the production of bioethanol, among other
factors, and prices had risen accordingly.
Laudis: Power in Harmony
Against this economic background, Dan
Studer was particularly pleased that his
maize yield was well above normal levels.
Nearly 400 bushels a hectare – that’s
significantly more than usual. One major
contributor to this bonanza was extremely
effective weed control, for which Studer’s
advisor Roger Jacobson can take the credit.
He devised a treatment programme in 2008
that included Laudis ® , a new broad-spectrum
herbicide from Bayer CropScience.
This post-emergence product is based
on the entirely new active substance tembotrione,
which belongs to the so-called
bleacher group of compounds: in other
words, it inhibits pigment synthesis in
leaves, thereby removing the target plant’s
protection against the damaging UV-component
of sunlight.
In 2008, Studer’s maize crops presented
Roger Jacobson with the challenge of controlling
the following rogue’s gallery: pigweed,
velvet leaf, cocklebur, wild sunflowers, and
yellow nutsedge. It was his first opportunity
to place Laudis at the centre of the treatment
programme. “This allowed us to suppress
the usual spectrum of weeds much more
convincingly than we had been able to with
our programme the previous year”, observes
Jacobson. The success of the programme was
mainly due to the fact that Laudis can also
control a number of weed grasses.
1/09 COURIER 9

Dan Studer (left) has extended the area under maize at his farm in north-eastern Kansas in recent years.
He determines his weed-control programmes with the support of his advisor Roger Jacobson (right). In 2008,
they introduced Laudis for the first time – with considerable success.
Brad Benson, Crop protection advisor from the Crop Quest
Representative for Bayer CropScience (right), exchange their
Their conclusion: feedback from farmers and their advisors
“For farmers, Laudis has the advantage
that effective post-emergence control of a
large range of weeds can be achieved with a
single product”, confirms Raimund Trapp,
Global Product Manager for maize herbicides
at Bayer CropScience. “The user is
able to see the first signs of the product’s
efficacy after only a very short time: the
weeds show obvious whitening, and later
die off.”
The maize plants themselves are protected
from this strong activity by a builtin
safener. This specifically and rapidly
degrades the active substance within the
maize plants – even under conditions that
are unfavourable for growth – such that
their UV-protection remains intact. The
product’s combination of strong, broadspectrum
activity against weeds and a
Successful start in Brazil too
high degree of crop safety makes it easy to
understand the thinking behind the advertising
slogan: “Power in Harmony”.
Laudis also controls weeds that many
conventional active substances fail to suppress,
or which can no longer be controlled
effectively because resistance has developed
within their populations. “Laudis can
be mixed with glyphosate, and therefore
represents an excellent extension of protection
for herbicide-tolerant maize”, explains
Jeff Springsteen, Marketing Manager for
maize herbicides at Bayer CropScience in
the USA.
Brad Benson is also convinced of the
potential of Laudis in combined use with
glyphosate. The area under Benson’s
responsibility lies a few hours’ drive south
of Studer’s farm, in McPherson County.
Laudis ® has also started along the road to success in Brazil, the world’s
third-biggest producer of maize following USA and China. In October and
November of last year, Brazilian farmers treated around 500,000 hectares for
the first time with the new herbicide, which is sold there under the trade name
Soberan ® . The new product is becoming the product of choice for growers in
that country: they particularly value its excellent crop compatibility in sensitive
hybrid-maize varieties, says Jean Zonato of Bayer CropScience’s Herbicide
Marketing Group in Brazil. Soberan’s spectrum-of-activity is the suitable
solution for dealing with the local weed flora. If necessary, the product can
also be applied in combination with nitrogen fertilizers. Zonato is predicting
considerable growth in 2009. “The good feedback from the initial users has
raised considerable interest among farmers who haven’t yet used Soberan.”
Like many other regions of the US, genetically-modified
maize – which usually
receive treatments with the total herbicide
glyphosate – also constitutes around 80
percent of the maize grown here.
Like Roger Jacobson, Brad Benson
works as a crop protection advisor, not as
an independent consultant, but rather as
an employee of the Crop Quest company.
Many farmers in Mc Pherson County
place their trust in Benson when it comes
to selecting the best way to control pests,
pathogens and weeds in their crops. Benson
is a regular visitor to more than 120 fields
covering almost 10,000 hectares, inspecting
crops of maize, wheat, soybean, millet
and alfalfa. During the summer, his work
keeps him on his feet from early in the
morning until late in the evening.
In 2008, Benson also included Laudis in
his programmes for the first time. He recommended
the product for use on around
a thousand hectares of maize crops, sometimes
in combination with glyphosate. “It
helps a lot that Laudis also has a certain
amount of soil activity.” This means that
the product doesn’t just work as the result
of its direct action upon uptake into the
leaves: it also provides for a longer-term
effect. Subsequent spray runs that might
otherwise have been necessary can therefore
be avoided.
The 2008 season was very successful for
him in terms of weed control in maize fields.
With a grin, Benson tugs at the peak of the
black cap he is wearing, which bears the
Crop Quest inscription, and chuckles: “Hey,
I think Laudis made me even happier than it
did the people at Bayer CropScience. I could
10 COURIER 1/09

company, and Greg Hudec, Technical Service
first experiences of the new maize herbicide Laudis.
has been very positive.
see first-hand how the product brought satisfaction
to my customers.”
The first season was also very positive
from a Bayer perspective. “In my region
– that is, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and
Colorado – the feedback from farmers
and their advisors was extremely good”,
enthuses Greg W. Hudec, who works as
a Technical Services Representative for
Bayer CropScience in those four states. Jeff
Springsteen is also enthusiastic. “Within
two weeks, we sold enough product for the
treatment of around 800,000 hectares.”
Extended herbicide portfolio
And it’s going to get even better. Bayer
CropScience is continuing to extend its
herbicide portfolio for maize farmers
in parts of the USA. Hudec and his colleagues
will be able to offer growers of the
crop another two new herbicides in 2009:
Balance ® Flexx, a further development of
Balance Pro, and Corvus TM , which is otherwise
marketed around the world under the
name Adengo ® , and which will now be
available in the USA for the first time. Both
products have been conceived mainly for
pre-sowing and pre-emergence herbicides,
but both can also be applied until early
post-emergence if necessary.
The innovation behind Balance Flexx
is the inclusion of the new CSI TM safener
technology that introduces a major increase
in its flexibility of use on all soil types.
“For example, application rates can be
adjusted better to the endemic weed spectrum”,
explains the Product Manager, Raimund
Trapp. “That’s a big advantage when
you’re dealing with soil types and conditions
that are otherwise difficult for soil
herbicides.” Moreover, the product is particularly
well-suited for so-called “oneshot
solutions”, which involve combinations
with other herbicides in tank-mixes,
according to Trapp. Balance Flexx also
provides the pre-emergence basis activity
on fields that the farmer subsequently
wants to treat post-emergence in order
to control late-emerging weeds. Trapp:
“This makes Balance Flexx suitable as an
advance treatment for herbicide tolerance
systems.”
Balance Flexx also offers maize growers
a benefit that can’t be found in other
herbicides. It reactivates itself, called
Recharge TM , throughout the growing season
– with as little as a half inch of rain
– to take down weeds that emerge even
when dry weather hits.
Farmers who have to deal with a broad
spectrum of weeds on their fields and
prefer simple, but reliable solutions may
well make the new Corvus their product
of choice. “Corvus is a full-spectrum
product that has been shown to control at
least 85 species in trials in several seasons
around the world,” according to Dr. Hans-
Joachim Santel, who is responsible for
the world-wide field development of new
maize herbicides at Bayer CropScience.
“Corvus incorporates the strengths of
Balance Flexx, supplemented by the
spectrum of activity of the newly-developed
herbicide thiencarbazone-methyl.”
Like Balance Flexx, a half-inch of rain
can reactivate Corvus to control weeds.
Called WeatherShield TM , this feature
makes Corvus less sensitive to random
and sporadic precipitation, enabling it
to control weeds up to two inches tall in
early-season maize.
There is a further aspect that Santel
emphasizes as a valuable plus point – the
fact that a high degree of activity and fullseason
weed control can be achieved with
very low application rates, i.e. less than
0.5 liters a hectare. This allows the product
to be sold in small containers, which
are more convenient to use and which
reduce the amount of material that needs
to be disposed of. Santel is sure that “it’s
not just the larger holdings that will come
to appreciate this.”
In 2008, the product received the firstever
registration in Romania, under the
trade name Adengo. The USA followed
at the beginning of 2009. At the moment,
market introductions are under preparation
in all of the most important maize-growing
countries; the current year should see new
registrations too.
High innovative potential
So within a short period, Bayer Crop-
Science has brought three new maize herbicides
onto the market, two of which contain
an entirely new active substance, with the
third improved through the inclusion of a
new safener. For Dr. Rüdiger Scheitza, the
Executive Committee member responsible
for Global Portfolio Management, this is a
sign of the company’s innovative strength:
“With these products, we believe that we
will be able to set new standards in modern,
integrated weed management”, he explains.
“We have received an impressive amount
of positive feedback from the marketplace.
This reflects our customers’ considerable
interest in innovations of this type, independent
of whether they grow conventional
or herbicide-tolerant maize.”
For the current year, experts in the USA
predict a slight fall in the area under maize
cultivation to 34 million hectares. However,
in north-east Kansas, Dan Studer
wants to grow a similar amount to 2008.
As far as weed control is concerned, his
advisor Roger Jacobson is also optimistic
for 2009: “After the successful use of Laudis
last year, we’ll be putting our trust in
this product again for post-emergence treatments.”
Jacobson and his client Studer are
also looking forward to using the new products
Balance Flexx and Corvus. “We definitely
want to integrate these new options
into our programme”, says Jacobson. n
Karl Hübner
1/09 COURIER 11

Belt thoroughly spoils
caterpillars’ appetite
With its active substance flubendiamide, Belt is the first representative of a
new class of insecticides called diamides. This product excels through its
rapid and long-lasting activity. Of equal importance is the fact that Belt can
make a useful contribution to resistance management; moreover, it exhibits
a high degree of safety for people and the environment.
“The market
introduction of
Belt has come
at just the right
time”.
Shane Hand
Caterpillars feel most comfortable wherever they
have plenty to eat – particularly when feeding on agricultural
and horticultural crops. Left undisturbed, they
won’t stop at eating individual leaves – they can eventually
destroy a whole field to the ground. In doing
so, they cause an immense amount of damage to crops
around the world. To make things worse, growing
numbers of lepidopteran pests are showing resistance
to many conventional insecticides, for example the caterpillars
of Plutella xylostella (Diamondback moth),
which are found in vegetable crops.
“The market introduction of Belt ® , which is also on
the market under the trade names Fame ® and Fenos ®
has come at just the right time”, says Shane Hand,
who, as Global Product Manager for flubendiamide at
Bayer CropScience, has the task of managing this successful
product. In 2006, while his predecessor Robert
Masters was still responsible for the product, it received
its very first registration, in the Philippines. This was
followed by further registrations in countries such as
India, Chile, the USA and Colombia. Hand anticipates
registration to be gained in Brazil during 2009.
Innovative insecticide class
marks a new standard
Before the first registration could be achieved, chemists,
biologists, physiologists, and toxicologists at
Bayer CropScience spent several years working on
flubendiamide, the active substance behind Belt.
12 COURIER 1/09

Flubendiamide is literally in a class of its own, because
it is the first representative of a new group of active
substances, which the researchers have named phthalic
acid diamides. In contrast to the four known classes of
insecticides, which target the insect’s nervous system,
the phthalic acid diamides act at receptors in muscles
– the so-called ryanodine receptors.
Belt demonstrates its efficacy in as little as one to
two hours after application. After taking up the compound,
caterpillars lose the control of their muscles and
stop eating; they become paralyzed through the constant
muscle tension and finally die. The compound’s
additional strengths include rapid rainfastness and
efficient uptake into the leaves, followed by acropetal
translocation of the active substance to the new growing
points of the leaves. Even small quantities are
effective over a prolonged period, so that depending
on the situation, the possibility exists of saving on the
number of applications.
“A chemical component of the South American
shrub Ryania speciosa has a similar mode of action”,
according to Shane Hand, “but the crop protection
agent based on it, ryanodine, had a serious disadvantage:
it was equally toxic to people, birds and fish.”
After careful customization in Bayer CropScience’s
laboratories, the opposite is true of flubendiamide: it
acts selectively against caterpillars, and spares bees
and other beneficial insects such as predacious bugs
and parasitic wasps. “It’s also safe for the user and
the environment – for mammals, birds, fish and earthworms
– as long as it is used according to the rules
of good agricultural practice”, continues the Product
Manager. “Belt is therefore an important tool in the
context of integrated crop protection.”
Belt is just the start
Resistance to many conventional insecticides is
increasing around the world, so this new mode of
action represents an important milestone in the story
of Bayer CropScience’s research into insecticides.
Shane Hand adds: “Belt is the product of choice against
tough caterpillar pests – there is no evidence of resistance.
But to maintain this advantage, Belt should
always be applied in alternation with insecticides from
other classes of active substance, for example with
pyrethroids and benzoylureas, resistance development
can be prevented, and the reliability of control of pests
in a wide variety of crops – such as cotton, corn, soybean,
vegetables, fruit and rice – can be maintained.”
With this number of ground-breaking advantages,
flubendiamide will certainly not remain the only
active substance from the phthalic acid diamide class.
Researchers are already working on related substances
that interfere with the muscle receptors of other insect
pests. If their work is successful, aphids and whiteflies
might be controlled in the future in an equally selective
and successful manner. n
Belt – a new
standard for
lepidoptera
control:
• New mode of action
• Very broad-spectrum
lepidoptera control
• Outstanding larvicidal
activity at low rates
• Fast-acting and longlasting
effect
• Rapid cessation of
feeding
• Safe to pollinators and
beneficial insects
• Broad crop utility
• No cross-resistance
• Suitable for Integrated
Pest Management and
Integrated Resistance
Management
• High degree of safety
(user, environment)
How Belt works
Muscle fiber bundle
The active substance flubendiamide acts within
the muscle fibers of an insect. It docks onto
the ryanodine-receptors in the myofibrils. As a
result, large amounts of calcium move out of the
calcium depot (sarcoplasmatic reticulum) into the
myofibrils, where calcium’s role is to allow the
myosin filaments to glide past the actin
filaments. The myofibrils contract
and the muscle enters a state
of permanent tension,
leading eventually to the
death of the insect.
Muscle fiber
(muscle cell)
Myofibril
Actin filament
Myosin filament
Ryanodine
receptor
Calcium
Flubendiamide
Calcium storage
(Sarcoplasmatic reticulum)
1/09 COURIER 13

How fungicides
Today’s fungicides are available to the cereal farmer either as ready-mixtures of
different active substances, or as solo products. Without knowledge of the strengths
and weaknesses of individual active substances, it can be difficult to choose the
right product: inappropriate use can encourage the development of resistance.
This comparison of fungal cultures in Petri dishes – with
(right) and without treatment – is suitably convincing.
An image taken
from an experiment
involving
the use of
radioactive active
substance is
being analysed.
The colours
reflect the extent
to which the test
substance has
been distributed
in the leaves.
14 COURIER 1/09

work
Before applying a fungicide treatment,
farmers have to consider which active substance
will bring the desired action against
the most prevalent diseases. Successful,
reliable control of pathogens depends on
the user’s skill in selecting the right combination
of active substances, mixed in
the correct proportions, and applied at the
appropriate rates. The choice of product or
combination of active substances depends
on which pathogens currently present the
greatest threat, and, just as importantly,
which are expected to become a threat later
in the season. At first glance, the spectra
of activity of different products may seem
very similar, but the active substances they
contain generally have their own particular
strengths and weaknesses.
Fungicides either inhibit or eradicate
fungal diseases that might otherwise cause
severe losses in yield and quality. They differ
in terms of chemical properties, activity
against pathogens and specific mode-ofaction.
Fungicides disrupt the metabolism
of fungal pathogens, inhibiting their development
or killing them off. However, the
various active substances act at different
points (targets) in the metabolic pathways
of the fungi. They most commonly inhibit
or inactivate an enzyme involved in the
pathogen’s metabolic processes, for example
in the production of energy during respiration.
Some substances act very specifically,
insofar as they block the activity of
individual enzymes or groups of enzymes.
Other active substances inhibit several
metabolic steps, meaning that they are less
selective.
Uptake and distribution
Besides the necessary active substances,
fungicidal products also contain formulants
and additives (e.g. emulsifying agents) that
serve a number of purposes: to ensure even
distribution of the active substance in the
spray solution; to strengthen the retention
of the active substance on the plant surface;
and to improve uptake into the plant’s tissues.
These properties make a significant
contribution to the efficacy of the fungicide:
however, they have no influence on
the transport of the active substance once it
is within the plant.
The path and extent of distribution on
the plant surface and uptake into plant tissues
are characteristics that allow for a differentiation
among fungicidal active substances.
Fungicides can be roughly categorized
as being non-systemic, mesostemic or
systemic. The category a substance belongs
to also indicates whether the fungicide can
be used to provide protective action alone,
or whether it can also be relied upon to provide
curative action. Non-systemic active
substances do not penetrate into plant tissues,
and are therefore unable to reach fungal
structures that have already developed
within the plant. So these active substances
can only be applied to obtain protective
activity. In contrast, fungicides with systemic
properties can also be applied after
the pathogen has succeeded in penetrating
into the plant’s tissues, as the internal
transport of the active substance allows it
to reach the fungal structures in order to
kill them off. However, curative activity is
only possible up to a certain point: by the
time the plant’s tissues have already been
damaged by the pathogen, it is usually too
late. Moreover, as the infection progresses,
the fungi tend to move towards the later
developmental stages of their life-cycles,
in which they tend to form structures that
are less sensitive to the action of fungicides.
What are the characteristics
Contact fungicides lack systemic activity,
but they usually possess a very broad
spectrum-of-action. They are unable to
penetrate through the plant cuticle, so they
cannot act within the plant’s tissues. They
therefore offer a purely protective activity
that is limited to the inhibition of spore
germination and the germ-tube growth of
the pathogen. These fungicides either disrupt
a number of metabolic processes, or
they inhibit a single, essential function in
numerous pathogens (e.g. disruption of
respiration processes). The converse of
their broad spectrum of action is limited
selectivity. The user must therefore take a
number of drawbacks into account:
• Only the initial developmental stages of
the pathogen are affected. As soon as the
fungus succeeds in penetrating into the
plant, it can continue to develop uninhibited.
• The fungicidal spray deposit must form an
even cover over the plant surface in order
to guarantee adequate protection.
• Plant tissues that develop after the treatment
has been applied remain unprotected.
Moreover, rain can eventually
wash off the existing spray deposit. It
may therefore be necessary to apply these
active substances several times in succession,
depending on the prevailing weather
conditions and the stage of growth of the
crop.
1/09 COURIER 15

Mesostemic fungicides are active substances
that are taken up extensively at the
plant surface. They tend to form a depot of
active substance from which a continuous
transfer takes place, either into the plant,
or across its surface. The result is a muchextended
duration of activity.
Systemic active substances also succeed
in penetrating through the plant’s cuticle,
so they can express their activity within its
tissues. They are usually selective, and can
usually be used both protectively and
curatively. Substances with fully systemic
activity are usually distributed within
the plant’s tissues in the direction of the
growing shoots: this does not apply to
locally-systemic substances. In order to
avoid damaging the target plant itself, systemic
active substances are selected for
their ability to inhibit metabolic processes
that are specific to fungi at concentrations
low enough to be harmless to plant cells.
The spectrum of action of these fungicides
is commonly restricted to a group of
related fungi, although the degree of selectivity
differs among the various active substances.
The selectivity contributes to the
environmental safety of the substances: it
also allows a more targeted use of products
against pathogens that are already present
in a crop.
Few groups of active
substances
Only a few groups of active substances
are available for controlling the most
important fungal diseases of cereal crops.
Products other than those from the triazole
and strobilurin groups generally have a
very limited spectrum of action that is usually
restricted to the control of mildew and
eyespot. The exceptions include the use of
chlorthalonil as a contact fungicide against
Septoria, and the broader activity of boscalid
against Septoria and eyespot.
Triazoles are well-known as truly curative
fungicides, whose strength means that
they can be relied upon for initial treatments,
or in situations where the disease
potential is uncertain. The farmer cannot
rely on curative sprays with the fungicide
right through to harvest, because there is
a risk involved in depending entirely on
a single group of fungicides, even one as
strong as the triazoles.
Resistance management
The repeated use of fungicides from the
same class of active substance encourages
the development of resistance, which can
quickly become a fixed genetic feature,
spreading rapidly within the fungal population.
Eventually, the resistant variant of the
pathogen predominates, and all fungicides
with the same mode-of-action are equally
useless against it.
A distinction can be made between
two different types of adaptation of pathogens
to active substances. The first is the
so-called „continuous“ or „quantitative“
adaptation, which develops gradually, and
is therefore also referred to as „shifting“.
Here, the pathogen undergoes changes to
several genes, so its sensitivity to the active
substance decreases in stages. It is rare for
this to lead to a product losing its activity
altogether: more commonly, the result is
a decrease in the efficacy of control and/
or a shortening of the original duration of
Mesostemic efficacy – what is that
2
1
5
4
3
action. This type of adaptation is not considered
particularly dramatic. The active
substances can continue to be used, albeit
with restrictions: for example, it becomes
even more urgent not to apply at below the
recommended rate.
The other type, „specific“ or „qualitative“
adaptation, is entirely different. Here,
a single genetic change is sufficient to
reduce sensitivity to the active substance to
such an extent that only a minimal level of
activity remains, or no activity at all, even
if the fungicide is applied at the recommended
rate. In other words, isolates of the
pathogen are either sensitive or resistant.
Under conditions of high selection pressure,
the resistant isolates can reproduce
explosively within a single season, and the
active substance becomes useless.
In order to prevent the development
of resistance to fungicides, spraying programmes
should include active substances
with different modes of action. Unnecessary
applications and treatments with
reduced application rates should also be
avoided – these not only increase the risk
of resistance development, they also represent
a false economy if they fail to check
the progress of the disease. n
Trifloxystrobin shows a strong tendency to
bind to plant structures, resulting in the formation
of a stable depot of active substance
on the plant’s surface and in the waxy layer
(1/2), which then provides continuous, protective
activity against any fungal spores that
arrive on the plant. There is a permanent flow
of small amounts of active substance from
the depot into the plant’s tissues (3).
Translaminar transfer (4) ensures that both
the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf are
reliably protected against infection.
Moreover, the process of subsequent redistribution
brings active substance particles
to areas of the plant that were not directly
treated, or which have developed since the
time of treatment (5).
Strong binding to the leaf surface and the low
water-solubility of the active substance ensure
the stability of the depot, thus providing for
an excellent duration of action.
16 COURIER 1/09

The groups of fungicidal active substances
used in cereals
Azoles are the largest and, alongside the strobilurins, the
most important group of fungicides. This group has sub-groups
- benzimidazoles, triazoles and imidazoles and pyrimidines –
that are characterized by their specific modes of action:
• Benzimidazole disrupt fungal metabolism by interfering
with cell division, acting at a single target site. This group
includes, among others, active substances with curative
action against eyespot and Fusarium seedling blight.
• Triazoles are distributed systemically within the plant and
act to a greater or lesser extent protectively, curatively,
and eradicatively. They belong to a sub-group of the SBI
fungicides (Sterol Biosynthesis Inhibitors) and are referred
to as DMI fungicides (Demethylase-Inhibitor). Their target of
inhibition is a particular enzyme (C 14
-demethylase) involved
in the synthesis of sterols, which are components of the
cell wall. Triazoles also possess various beneficial plant
growth-regulating properties as side-effects. They influence
the chlorophyll content of plant tissues, prolong the period
of assimilation, improve photosynthesis, and reduce crop
height. This plant hormone-like activity delays ripening, thus
extending the period of grain-filling.
• Imidazoles and pyrimidines only show a limited amount
of systemic redistribution. Two important representatives
are prochloraz and imazalil (used in seed-treatments
against barley leaf stripe).
Morpholines belong to another sub-group of the SBI fungicides.
These substances act by inhibiting two enzymes that are
involved in building the cell wall. This results in the appearance
of holes in the cell wall, which leads to rapid drying-out, especially
in mildew pathogens.
Strobilurins form a depot of active substance in the plant’s
waxy layer, followed by translaminar (or surface) re-distribution.
They attack the fungus at the point of energy production
(respiration) by blocking a single enzyme: they are thus
highly vulnerable to resistance development, as has already
been demonstrated by populations of mildew and Septoria.
Strobilurins must be applied protectively.
Chinolines also form a depot in the waxy layer and show
translaminar redistribution, just like strobilurins. They lack
any curative activity, but they have a relatively long duration
of action.
Anilino-Pyrimidines also form a depot in the waxy layer.
Subsequent redistribution is translaminar and systemic. These
substances inhibit fungal metabolism by blocking the synthesis
of the amino acid methionine, thereby inhibiting the penetration
of the fungus into the leaf and its subsequent growth within the
plant’s tissues.
Quinazolinones are a new group of fungicides that inhibit the
process of spore germination in mildew. The active substances
undergo local systemic redistribution, and it also reaches
newly-developed tissues via micro-emissions from the plant
and within the crop.
Cyflufenamides also form a new group of active substances
that attack various stages in the developmental cycle of cereal
mildews. They act quickly, and show both curative and protective
activity. The active substance undergoes translaminar and
local systemic redistribution in the plant.
Carboxamides are a group of active substances that also
target the respiration process, inhibiting the fungus at various
stages of its development. In cereals, the active substance only
acts preventatively. Once applied, it is taken up through the
leaf, followed by acropetal systemic transport within the plant.
1/09 COURIER 17

Safe use campaign in Eastern Europe
More than just passing on product
18 COURIER 1/09

know-how
Wearing the appropriate protective gear should be a given – before, during and
after the application of seed-treatment products on seeds.
Evgenia Ustimenko of Bayer CropScience in the
Ukraine has been working on the campaign for safe
application of seed-treatment products since 2006.
To coincide with the
introduction of the
new cereal seed treatment
Lamardor, Bayer
CropScience has started
a campaign in several
Eastern European
countries to promote the
safe application of seedtreatment
products on
seeds. Because there is
a benefit for everybody
involved, the first results
have been very positive.
Alexander Ryzhenko has just returned to
his office in Moscow. He has spent the last
two days in Tumen in Siberia, where the
snow lies deep. He was there in his role as
Bayer CropScience Product Manager for
seed treatments, taking part in a meeting
with local customers, advisors and representatives
of large farming operations.
Discussions of this type between Bayer
CropScience representatives and customers
are a regular occurrence. They provide an
opportunity to exchange experiences, and
the Bayer CropScience experts can also
use the occasion to share information about
new products and services.
“This event was the perfect platform for
introducing our information campaign on
the safe use of seed treatment products”
says the Product Manager, who is responsible
for Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
“The aim of the campaign is to promote the
safe handling of seed treatment products,
so that especially the users are better protected.”
Campaign to coincide with
the introduction of Lamardor
The planning for this project started
back in mid-2007. The first concrete steps
followed shortly afterwards: an information
brochure was prepared and distributed;
addresses were identified from which
protective gear could be sourced; a website
was created; and around 1,000 people had
the opportunity to familiarize themselves
with the message of the campaign.
Ryzhenko and his colleagues really
want to get the ball rolling with the 2009
campaign. The introduction of the new seed
treatment Lamardor ® will give it leverage:
“We anticipate that there will be a lot of
interest in the new product among farmers,
distributors and the treatment plants.
We want to capitalize on this interest by
increasing awareness of user protection at
the same time”, explains Ryzhenko.
Given Bayer CropScience’s long-standing
commitment to user protection, it was
a natural step to push ahead with the development
of dust-free and low-solvent seed
treatment formulations. The especially
user-friendly water-based suspension treatments
were the result. These products are
particularly advantageous because neither
dust nor solvent vapours arise during their
use. Machines and equipment can simply
be cleaned with water, and they no longer
suffer the negative effects of frequent exposure
to organic solvents.
Alexander Ryzhenko (right) leads Bayer CropScience’s
operator safety project for Russia.
1/09 COURIER 19

Peter Ohs of Bayer CropScience, based in Monheim, advises colleagues in the field and gives helpful tips about
the best choice of protective gear.
“Providing the market with seed treatments
that are as user-friendly as possible
is among Bayer CropScience’s highest priorities”,
comments Ryzhenko. So for the
user, protective practice actually begins
with the decision as to which product to
buy. High-quality seed treatment products
such as Lamardor are easy to mix; they
stick to seeds well and resist abrasion; and
they have a good flowability, so they are
also easier to work with.
percent of operators of seed-treatment
equipment in the Ukraine and Moldova
are applying the recommended precautionary
measures and wearing the appropriate
protective gear. At the beginning
of the campaign, the figure was about 10
percent. Ustimenko attributes this success
to continuous communication: “My colleagues
regularly raise the topic at training
events, meetings, field days and visits to
farms. Reputable specialist magazines run
stories about our activities; we also offer
relevant information in our annual product
catalogue; videos show, in a clear way, how
seed treatment should be used correctly;
and the internet offers rapid access to the
information we are offering.”
Ustimenko is convinced that “little
strokes fell big oaks”. This is why the project
will conceptually continue in 2009.
As soon as the treatment season begins,
Bayer CropScience technicians will be
on the road throughout the country to
support personnel in the treatment plants
and to provide training in the use of
protective gear. After being the first producer
of crop protection products starting
such a safe use campaign in Ukraine, for
Bayer CropScience sustainability is an
important aspect of the campaign.
Convincing people
of the benefits
Dr. Peter Ohs, Senior Product Stewardship
Manager in Development, stays in constant
contact with Alexander Ryzhenko and
Evgenia Ustimenko. To gether, they determine
how the campaign can be organized
effectively and carried out successfully.
“The users must discover the importance
and value for themselves. That is a precondition
for the uptake of the campaign”,
is how the Bayer CropScience manager,
High level of acceptance
among users
Ryzhenkos Ukrainian colleague Evgenia
Ustimenko is a little further down the
road, and has had time to gather a bit more
experience. In the Ukraine, both the introduction
of Lamardor and the campaign
started earlier, in 2006. Moldova followed
a year later. The user-protection campaign
embraces a range of topics relating to the
entire spectrum of safe and efficient seed
treatment practices. The project leader of the
campaign in the Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia
und Armenia attaches particular importance
to the personal protective gear worn
by the user: “Promoting the use of gloves,
overalls, breathing masks and goggles is at
the centre of our efforts. We’re appealing to
the users’ common sense to persuade them
to familiarise themselves with the recommended
protective measures, and to apply
them during the entire treatment process,
as well as during the rinsing of equipment
afterwards”, Ustimenko explains.
The results of the campaign speak for
themselves. Bayer CropScience sales representatives
now observe that around 60
Lamardor
is a new fungicidal product in Bayer CropScience’s seed treatment portfolio for
cereals. It is a combination of the innovative active substance prothioconazole
and the globally successful active substance tebuconazole. Prothioconazole is a
DMI (Dimethylase inhibitor)-type fungicide that belongs to the new chemical class
of triazolinthiones. Rapid penetration of tebuconazole combined with sustained
uptake of prothioconazole lead to long-lasting protection.
Lamardor combines …
• Broad-spectrum disease control thanks to two complementary
active substances with clear synergistic effects:
- excellent efficacy against Tilletia caries, Ustilago nuda f. sp. tritici and
Fusarium spp.
- good efficacy against Bipolaris sorokiniana
- adequate efficacy against Microdochium nivale
• …with increased plant strength thanks to interactive effects on plant physiology:
- improved crop vigour
- excellent, healthy crop stand
- better root development due to the beneficial physiological effects
of tebuconazole
- increased frost tolerance due to a shortening of the mesocotyl
- improved drought tolerance due to the production of longer roots
•…and high reliability and crop safety.
20 COURIER 1/09

ased at company headquarters in Monheim,
describes the central issue. He draws
a parallel with driving a car: “For most drivers,
putting on the safety belt has become
second nature, and most are also prepared
to invest extra money into safety features
such as airbags, ABS or ESP. It should be
equally natural for all users of crop protection
agents to put on the appropriate protective
gear every time they work with these
products. There are also ways in which the
treatment plants can invest into making the
workplace safer, such as through the installation
of suitable extraction fans.”
Other aspects of the campaign, such as
providing tips on the safe storage of seed
treatment products and treated seeds or the
use of well-calibrated treatment equipment,
can also benefit users directly in terms of
the safety of the workplace. “Safety and
economic efficiency can complement each
other”, according to Ohs.
Responsibility doesn’t end with
the sale of the product
For Ohs, this user-protection campaign is
company policy translated into practice:
“Obviously, we want to increase our market
share through our innovative products. But
we also accept our responsibility to ensure
that they are being used safely.” The challenge
for Ohs, Ustimenko and Ryzhenko is
to reach the many thousands of users of seed
treatment products and to get the message
across to them. Many of them are already
aware of how important the appropriate
protective measures are, “but we must make
sure that words are turned into actions”, is
how he describes the general aim.
They have to take into account the widely
differing agricultural structures in the countries
of Eastern Europe. If possible, every
stakeholder should be reached, because this
topic is relevant to all of them – from small
businesses to large companies that are dressing
seed lots sufficient for several hundred
thousand hectares. The Bayer CropScience
personnel estimate that the number of agricultural
operations involved in seed dressing
exceeds 2,000 in the Ukraine, and lies at
around 26,000 in Russia.
This is why Ustimenko and Ryzhenko
opt for broad communication. They intentionally
include not only their own sales
representatives, but also distributors and,
wherever possible, specialist journalists
and authorities. All of these people should
ideally pick up the message and act as multiplicators
within their spheres of activity.
Here, Peter Ohs talks of a snowball effect.
“The broader we spread the campaign and
the more often we communicate the topic,
the greater the chance that we’ll achieve the
desired effect. We believe strongly that our
campaign has the potential to run itself.”
To some extent, this seems to be happening
already. In the meanwhile, seed treaters
have started asking their Bayer CropScience
contacts where the next training events are
due to take place. The responsible authorities
in the countries are also very positive
about the user protection campaign, and they
are already pointing towards the next
step: an extension of the campaign to
cover the area of spray application. n
12 Tips for the Safe Use of Seed Treatment Products
Before application:
Use only high-quality
products
Store products safely
Read the Label
before use
Use adequate
clothing / personal
protective equipment
Check and calibrate
seed-treatment
equipment regularly
Use only well-cleaned
and -graded seeds
During application:
After application:
Avoid spillage
Follow the producer’s
recommendation
before disposing of
containers
Keep treated seeds
away from people
and wildlife
Clean seed-treatment
equipment regularly
Wear gloves and filter
masks to avoid
contamination
Clean personal
protective equipment
and exposed skin
after work
1/09 COURIER 21

Grapes with the
best reputation
The German fruit and vegetable retailer Kölla wants to improve the image
of Turkish-produced grapes. Working together with its Turkish partner, the
company produces table grapes close to Izmir according to the rules of
Bayer CropScience’s Food Chain Partnership Initiative. A success story.
22 COURIER 1/09

The area around the town of Alaşehir,
which lies near Izmir, presents the observer
with a romantic view: grapevines as far as
the eye can see. Millions of juicy grapes
ripening under a blue sky. A pretty-as-apicture
landscape that could be straight out
of a travel catalogue. But in this case, any
traveling that’s done starts from here and
goes in the other direction – to Germany,
for example.
Within four days of being harvested
from the fields around Alaşehir, the grapes
are to be found in supermarket displays in
Hamburg, Cologne or Munich. They’re
pretty certain to find buyers there – customers
associate Alinda – the trademark under
which they are marketed – with a particularly
high quality standard.
Change of perspective
Dr Mehmet Kaya from Bayer CropScience, Gündüz Sadak from Kölla
and Björn Hardt from Bayer CropScience discuss the crop cultivation.
In the past, that isn’t something that could
have been said of all grapes produced in
Turkey. “Turkish grapes didn’t have the
best image in Europe”, admits Björn Hardt,
until 31 st March 2009 Head of Marketing
and Development at Bayer CropScience in
Turkey. This was the fault of a few individual
producers who failed to observe pre-harvest
intervals (meaning that the maximum
residue limits were often exceeded), or used
crop protection agents that were either not
recommended in Europe, or were indeed
prohibited there. “Unfortunately,
this damaged the reputation of
the entire growing community.”
Turkish prod ucts
were often rejected
off-hand by European
con sumers
as being “contaminated”.
The fact that the
Alinda-grapes
are now setting
new standards is
partly thanks to
Bayer CropScience.
For their high quality
is attributable to the Food-Chain
Partnership Initiative, which now covers
projects in 40 countries, and represents
both a new philosophy in crop protection,
and a successful business model: “The idea
behind the Food-Chain Partnership Initiative
is to offer customized services together
with our partners in the food industry and
the trade, and to offer an optimized use
of production tools to farmers so that all
partners benefit,“ says Dr. Birgitt Walz-
Tylla, Head of Food Chain Management
at Bayer CropScience. “We have, so to
speak, brought about a change of perspective:
Bayer CropScience now has the needs
of every single partner in the food chain in
view – from the farmer, through export/
import, to the retailer and the consumer.”
The change of perspective starts right
at the farm. “Today’s farmer faces a range
of challenges”, explains Walz-Tylla: “He
must guarantee that the history of his products
can be traced back, and must therefore
plan and carry out his cultivation work in
a transparent way. Without adequate specialist
knowledge, including that of crop
protection, he won’t succeed. The farmer
also has to contend with the challenge of
keeping up with new cultivation technologies
and practices. Moreover, he has to
keep a careful eye on his target markets, in
order to keep the agronomic measures he is
planning in line with new rules and changes
to the law in these countries.” Bayer Crop-
Science has acquired a good deal of expertise
in all of these areas and is able to offer
it to the farmer – from optimal cultivation
methods to the controlled, environmentally-compatible
use of crop protection
agents, such that the legally-determined
maximum residue limits are held to.
It is obvious that every partner in the
food chain profits from this: the exporter,
the importer and the trade enjoy the confidence
that they are able to introduce the
highest quality food into the market. The
customer can also rely on the quality, and
on the fact that there is a complete absence
of a health risk from the apples, grapes or
zucchini he finds in the supermarket.
Mistaken practice led
to a bad image
But even the best concept is nothing without
partners you can rely on. In Alaşehir,
it is the German company Kölla and the
Turkish company Çelikoglu that work
together so well with Bayer CropScience
– according to the rules of the Food-Chain
Partnership Initiative. They are producing
sultana table grapes, which are destined for
marketing in Germany and Austria – with
considerable success.
“Many years ago, we had a constant
problem with the grapes we used to import
into Germany from Turkey” says Gündüz
Sadak, Kölla’s Managing Partner, who is
responsible for the Turkey business: “Crop
protection agents were often being used in
grape cultivation that were not registered
in Germany. And the maximum residue
limits were continually being exceeded.
We therefore took active steps to contact
the producers of crop protection agents
– and when we approached Bayer Crop-
Science, we found people who were willing
to listen.”
Considerable need for education
In the meanwhile, the cooperation has
become one of the showpiece projects of
the Food-Chain Partnership Initiative. It
has led to a significant improvement to the
image of Turkish grapes. The principle:
Kölla and Çelikoglu lease areas of land
from local farmers and cultivate grapes on
them under the guidance of crop protection
experts from Bayer CropScience. The
agronomists and field workers are brought
1/09 COURIER 23

in by the Çelikoglu company, which also
provides a modern packing station and
acts as exporter. Kölla is responsible for
the advance financing, and coordinates
the importing into target countries. Köllaworker
Sadak: “In this way, we’re able to
make sure that the treatment the product
receives is entirely appropriate, from cultivation
through to the customer.”
But it took some effort to reach this
stage. “At the start, a lot of education was
needed”, is how Björn Hardt recalls the
initial stages of the project in 2005. “On
the one hand, you had the demands of the
retail food trade and the consumers, who
expected to find high-quality, nutritious
and healthy fruit in German supermarkets.
On the other hand, you had the local cultivation
conditions and producers who were
rather restricted in their thinking.” So the
first priority for Bayer CropScience was to
familiarize both the farmers and the exporters
with the requirements of the German
grocery trade. “In taking on this role, we
were acting as mediators between two different
worlds”, observes Björn Hardt.
Gündüz Sadak of Kölla: “Most farmers
had no idea how bad the reputation of
locally-grown grapes was abroad. They also
lacked knowledge of which crop protection
agents are registered in Germany, and
which are not. Where should they get this
information from It’s complicated enough
for a German farmer to keep up with all the
EU-rules.”
Cultivation according
to strict guidelines
Through consistent cooperation, based on
mutual trust, the three partners have been
able to overcome the initial obstacles and
to establish a production system that really
works.
Any possibility of a regression into the
old ways can be excluded for the production
of Alinda-grapes. They are cultivated
according to strict guidelines. “None of
the producers who participate in the Food-
Chain Partnership Initiative chooses crop
protection agents autonomously,” says
Björn Hardt. With the support of experts
from Bayer CropScience and Çelikoglu, the
appropriate treatment regime is selected for
each plot, within the framework of a crop
protection plan that is especially tailored
for export to Germany. Hardt: “Of course
it must be carefully documented which
crop protection agent was used when, and
at which application rate. In order to catch
diseases before an epidemic is able to start,
we do continuous monitoring, so that if we
have to intervene, we can do so in a targeted
way, applying no more than is necessary.”
In order to make sure that we fulfil
our promise in terms of quality, we go as
far as to exclude grapes that were grown
in plots directly abutting onto adjacent
land from marketing within the framework
of the Food-Chain Partnership concept:
their quality could, after all, be affected by
sprays from neighboring fields.
The partners also go the extra mile when
it comes to monitoring residues. Kölla representative
Sadak: “About one week before
harvest, Kölla employees collect samples
from the field and send them to Germany
for analysis. The corresponding crop is only
given the go-ahead if the results conform
with the customers’ requirements. Because
we take these pre-harvest samples from
all of our plantations, we can practically
claim that we have taken a sample from
each lorry-load that leaves the plantation.
However, the rules require that samples are
taken from at least every third lorry. So we
are doing much more than the trade actually
demands of us.”
Moreover, every grape he sells can
be traced back to the field it was grown
on, because every plot is bar-coded. The
retailer – for example the supermarket –
receives the plantation codes along with the
first delivery. By logging on to the website
www.alinda.eu with his own password,
the supermarket supervisor can then use
the plantation code to download the latest
laboratory analyses corresponding to the
delivery he has just received.
From the importer
to the producer
A concept that works – for the Turkish
farmers who provide the land too, as Sadak
emphasizes: “We offer the local farmers
an instalment right at the beginning of the
season, calculated according to average
earnings during the previous year. The rest
of the money is paid out after harvest.” An
arrangement that quickly spread on the
The project team from Kölla,
Çelikoglu and Bayer CropScience
Grapes are prepared for shipping
grapevine, as it were! In the meanwhile,
farmers with suitable land are queuing up
to take part in the project. “In this region,
the plots are usually very small. In 2006,
we had to work hard to persuade every single
participating farmer to lease his small
plot of land to us. So we needed nearly
three months to get an area of 60 hectares
together. In 2007, we had 300 hectares
within a week! Whole villages wanted to
take part in the Food-Chain Partnership
Project.” The 2008 season went equally
well. Almost 4000 tonnes of grapes were
24 COURIER 1/09

The cultivation of grapes in the Turkish
Food-Chain Partnership Project is done
according to strict guidelines. Experts
from Çelikoglu and Bayer CropScience
select the appropriate treatment regime.
exported to Germany. That corresponds to
180 lorry loads. In 2004, it was only 43.
The Turkish Food-Chain Partnership
Project has already established a name for
itself in Austria. There, Kölla works closely
with GLOBAL 2000. The organization has
already rated the grape project positively
on a number of occasions. n Katja Nau
Quality speaks for itself
1/09 COURIER 25

Rust protection for
For almost 50 years, it was assumed that the stem rust
pathogen had been vanquished, but this is no longer the
case – in recent years it has been making a comeback in
the form of a particularly aggressive variant strain, and it
now presents a much-feared threat to wheat cultivation.
While the search for resistant wheat varieties continues,
a study has shown that Bayer CropScience’s well-proven
fungicide Folicur can help in the meanwhile.
Puccinia – the name might evoke pleasant
associations for lovers of classical music.
But not for wheat farmers! The immediate
association for them is “rust”. For a number
of years now, they have been particularly
worried about Puccinia graminis f. sp.
tritici (stem rust). The rapid spread of this
strain could soon present a serious threat
to the global wheat supply, which, with
annual production of more than 600 million
tonnes, is certainly one of the most important
basic food commodities for a growing
world population.
Actually, for a long time, the stem rust
pathogen was assumed to have been beaten.
Although it occasionally caused serious
harvest losses in wheat during the first half
of the 20th century, resistant wheat varieties
eventually became available. Among
the scientists who developed them was
Norman Ernest Borlaug, who went on to
become known as the father of the “Green
Revolution”, obtaining the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1970 in recognition of his work.
At the end of the last century, stem rust
suddenly reappeared in the form of a new
physiological strain – a particularly aggressive
one. After first being characterized in
Uganda in 1999 (and thus christened Ug99
by the specialists), this dangerous strain has
since spread through North Africa as far as
the Middle East. When the strain appeared
in Yemen as an even more aggressive
mutant in 2007, the world Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) sounded the
alarm, warning that the pathogen could
pose a serious threat to the global harvest
should it eventually reach the major areas of
wheat cultivation. The main concern at the
moment is that the pathogen might continue
its travels in the direction of major wheat
producers such as Pakistan and India. North
African countries are also under threat. The
regions directly threatened by the spread of
Ug99 are estimated to represent 37 percent
of global wheat production.
On the other hand, Europe is relatively
not under threat because of the historical
removal of the alternate host barberry
(Berberis vulgaris), the common European
barberry. This has resulted in significant
reduction not only of virulent strains but
also reduction of the local production of
spore inoculums. In addition, the wide
26 COURIER 1/09

wheat
spread cultivation of early ripening wheat
cultivars helped to escape the disease. The
plants flowering and building of grains
takes place during periods of temperatures,
which are not suitable for the stem rust
infection development.
Ug99 fungus as it develops impacts
negatively to wheat plant metabolic processes
resulting in stunting of plant growth
and eventually reducing yield. The wheat
grains that are harvested tend to be smaller
and lighter, and are often shrivelled and of
lower quality. Ninety percent of all commercial
wheat varieties are susceptible to
this aggressive strain of the pathogen.
Researchers are now working tirelessly
to select suitable resistant wheat varieties
that can be brought into cultivation. The
first resistance genes have already been
identified. But it will be a few years before
robust wheat varieties will be available for
widespread cultivation. So for the meanwhile,
the priority is to counter the threat
by other means, for example by controlling
the pathogen directly.
In this context, there is good news from
Kenya, a country with 150,000 hectares of
wheat cultivation that has also been under
threat from Ug99 for several years. The
final report of a series of wheat field trials
run by the Kenya Agricultural Research
Institute (KARI) in 2005 and 2006 has now
been published. “The research has shown
that Ug99 can be controlled successfully
with the appropriate fungicides”, explains
Francis Miano, Technical Manager for
Bayer CropScience in Region East Africa.
Over the two year period, the KARI researchers
tested the efficacy of nine registered fungicides
in three areas of wheat cultivation.
Four weeks after treatment, they assessed
the severity of stem rust infection, and later
measured the wheat yield and grain quality.
They then compared the results with those
from untreated control plots.
The results showed that, depending on
the season and the area of cultivation, the
use of fungicides resulted in an economically
significant yield increase.
Of the nine fungicides tested, the two
most effective products were from Bayer
CropScience’s portfolio: Folicur ® 250EC
and Silvacur ® 250EC. KARI has now offi-
Characteristic symptoms of black stem rust: orange
to dark brown-coloured longitudinal pustules on stalks
and leaf sheathes.
cially recommended both products for the
control of Ug99 in Kenya.
The fact that Folicur and Silvacur gave
similarly good results in the study is not
surprising, given that they share the same
essential active substance – tebuconazole.
“Silvacur has an additional active substance,
whereas Folicur is a solo product”,
explains Ingo Wetcholowsky, fungicide
specialist in Bayer CropScience’s Agronomic
Development department. “We tend
to recommend Silvacur and other combination
products, such as Nativo ® and Prosaro
® , if there are additional fungal pathogens
that need controlling alongside stem
rust, for instance mildew.” For the control
of stem rust alone, Folicur is perfectly adequate.
For many years, Folicur has maintained
its position as one of the most effective rustcontrol
products on the world market – and
has been proving its worth in more than 60
countries, particularly in the fight to control
yellow rust and leaf rust. In contrast,
there had been no need to control stem rust
for decades. But should Ug99 really spread
further into Asia, as the FAO fears it might,
then the good news is that Folicur is already
registered in countries such as Pakistan and
India, and is well-established there for use
on wheat crops. n
Karl Hübner
The wheat-growing area in Kenya also faces the
threat of infection by the new stem rust physiological
strain UG99. Recent research results show that this
strain can be controlled with suitable fungicides, such
as Folicur and Silvacur. The picture shows Kenyan
wheat fields close to the equator.
1/09 COURIER 27

Nature and technology
Geckos are known for their ability to climb up walls and walk along ceilings
upside-down. These lizards are even up to the challenge posed by smooth
surfaces such as glass. Thousands of millions of the finest hairs under the
pads of their feet create perfect adhesion, but they also allow the Geckos
to “unstick” themselves easily, without leaving a trace. With their tiny hairs,
Geckos are using weak molecular binding forces in a surprising way.
No wonder researchers also became very interested in applying this
principle. For example, in order to develop re-usable adhesive tape. Only
0.5 square centimeters of this type of sticky tape is needed to hang the
40 gramme toy Spiderman figure from a sheet of glass. n
www.bayercropscience.com