Syngenta Seedcare launches Victrato, a new seed treatment

Syngenta Crop Protection's Seedcare business is launching Victrato, a novel seed treatment technology that combines nematode and disease control. Syngenta officials say it will benefit farmers looking to increase the quality and yield of their crops and support long-term soil health.

Syngenta will launch Victrato this week at the ISF World Seed Congress in Barcelona. It is registered in El Salvador, with registration expected in Argentina in 2022 and additional registrations across a broad range of crops expected globally over the next five years.

Victrato contains Tymirium technology, which Syngenta officials say provides long-lasting protection against all plant parasitic nematodes and key fungal diseases across major crops, including:

• Soybeans
• Corn
• Cereals
• Cotton
• Rice
  

Nematodes – a parasitic species that feeds from the root or the plant, to deplete it of nutrients – are present in almost all agricultural soils, attacking crops and opening a path to further fungal infection. They can have a devastating impact, with yield losses of up to 12% globally per year, equating to an estimated loss of $150 billion every year for farmers.

One of the biggest challenges farmers face in managing crop-damaging nematodes is the invisible nature of the problem. Syngenta Seedcare has unique screening capabilities and innovative mapping systems that detect the presence of nematodes in key markets, including Brazil, the United States, China, and countries throughout the Asia-Pacific, say Syngenta officials. This work, in combination with Victrato, helps farmers identify and address nematode problems to deliver productivity improvements, say Syngenta officials.

Victrato enables plants to optimize water and nutrient uptake while increasing stress tolerance and yield, delivering a greater return on investment for the farmer, say Syngenta officials. By protecting the roots, Victrato plays a critical part in enabling no-till and conservation-tillage practices. It also helps preserve biodiversity by not harming beneficial insects, pollinators, or microflora. This favorable sustainability profile provides farmers with the option to replace older technologies, say Syngenta officials.

"We are excited to be adding Victrato to our broad portfolio. Syngenta Seedcare was the first to develop a modern nematode seed treatment, with Avicta, and now with this new product we are taking our efforts to combat nematodes to the next level," said Jonathan Brown, global head of Syngenta Seedcare, in a news release. "Victrato has an easy-to-use formulation that provides consistent performance without adverse effects to crop or soil health, giving farmers the freedom to maximize their yields without having to compromise on sustainability."

"We are investing significantly in soil health at Syngenta Crop Protection, and the development of Victrato is a major step forward in this space and the result of our focused seed treatment research program," said Camilla Corsi, global head of Syngenta crop protection research, in a news release. "Our unique capability to design and screen pipeline leads for nematode control enables us to develop products that address key crop issues while delivering safe and convenient solutions for farmers."