Producers register more than 100 bags of soybeans in the first commercial harvest of Intacta2 Xtend

The harvests of Bayer's third generation of soybean biotechnology, Intacta2 Xtend, commercially sown for the first time in the 2021/2022 harvest, have surpassed the results obtained in test areas and caught the attention of rural producers throughout Brazil. With average productivity above 100 bags per hectare, some farmers are already planning to expand the area with the new biotechnology, even targeting productivity competitions.

The Intacta2 Xtend platform has been tried and tested over the last two years in more than 500 areas across Brazil. In these non-commercial areas, the average productivity recorded reached 3,25 bags more per hectare in relation to the main varieties on the market. However, the first harvests in commercial areas this season revealed an even more encouraging outlook.

“As a seed grower, I really enjoy testing new technologies and cultivars. I was offered five varieties of Intacta2 rural José Oscar Durigan.

In the approximately 1.700 hectares of soybeans that he cultivates per year on the Pindaíbas farm, the average productivity result was no more than 78 bags, with some Intacta2 Xtend plots showing an average of 107 bags per hectare. The result was so surprising that Durigan was even excited to participate in the National Soybean Maximum Productivity Challenge, held by the Soja Brasil Strategic Committee (Cesb).

“The Cesb people found out about this and came to the farm to audit, but the areas were not the right size. Next year we will adapt and participate, for sure. I’ve even ordered the seeds”, reports the producer.

The expectation is that the Pindaíbas farm will go from an area of ​​less than 1% with Intacta2 Xtend in 21/22 to just over 10% in 22/23. Durigan reports that he did not need to make any changes in the management of these areas, he just repeated the precautions he already takes throughout the farm, with crop rotation and pesticides, adequate shelter, seed treatment and monitoring.

In the southern region of the country, in Ponta Grossa (PR), the Bacaetava farm also achieved a surprising result, in the words of producer Gilcesar Zeny. In the 2.700 hectares that grow soybeans per year, the average was 80 bags per hectare. In the area with Intacta2 Xtend, which occupies less than 2% of this total, the average was above 100 bags, with some plots presenting 104 bags per hectare.

“If I take the best average of our plots with other seeds and compare it with the worst average that i2x presented, we see an impressive difference. And this becomes a benefit and profit for the farm”, comments Zeny.

The producer comments that the planting of Intacta2 Xtend took place right in the middle of plots with other varieties, using the same management and that, despite the presence of caterpillars throughout the property, in the new biotechnology they were not found and no leaves were nibbled.

“The plan is to plant this new biotechnology [Intacta2 Xtend] in 40% of the area in the next harvest and save a little on insecticides. Our experience was very positive, from planting to harvest, which took place in a very homogeneous way, with the crop in a beautiful and eye-catching golden yellow tone”, celebrates Zeny.

The two producers stated that they were curious to also test the XTEND Refúgio varieties, already targeting the high production potential and tolerance to the herbicides dicamba and glyphosate. In soybean crops, the refuge practice consists of planting conventional or herbicide-tolerant varieties in at least 20% of the total planted soybean area, respecting a maximum distance of 800 meters between areas

“Producers who join the refuge are also following the good practices that are prerequisites for adhering to soy pre-certification. Some of the main benefits of this practice is not having to segregate the harvest of soybeans, a factor that speeds up the process of delivering production to the hopper, as it can indicate everything as Intact technology”, says the director of Soy and Cotton Business at Bayer , Fernando Prudente.

Complementary tools

The producer from Ponta Grossa also highlighted that he intends to test another important tool associated with the INTACTA2 XTEND Platform, the herbicide caruru, the viola string and the black picão.

“I'm already planning with my operators for them to take the Bayer course on good herbicide application practices, with Senar, to guarantee the best results and greater safety in the application”, comments Zeny.

The producer from Goiás, José Oscar Durigan, also plans his harvest in advance with the support of Climate FieldView, Bayer's digital agriculture platform that automatically collects and processes field data and helps producers with decision-making.

“We often see a problem in the field and have the false impression that it is a seed issue, for example. But with digital monitoring we can evaluate soil, planting quality and other metrics, allowing us to be more assertive in solving the problem and choosing pesticides”, says José Oscar Durigan.