Bayer launches Intacta 2 Xtend, new biotechnology for soybeans

Relying on cutting-edge technologies and the best management recommendations, Bayer's third generation of soybean biotechnology, the Intacta 2 Xtend, arrives commercially on the market for the 2021/2022 harvest. In partnership with the main seed companies, more than 30 soybean varieties will be positioned for the main soybean growing regions of Brazil and will be available to all licensed producers, with three of them developed exclusively for refuge areas. 

According to the company, the entire Intacta 2 Xtend platform has been tried and tested over the last two years in more than 500 areas across Brazil. Among these areas, it was possible to verify that the new technology delivered 3,25 bags per hectare more in relation to the main checks (similar varieties on the market) in the 2020/2021 harvest. Based on the benefits to farmers obtained in the 2020/2021 harvest with the Intacta 2 Xtend platform, in the launch year the technology is offered at a price of R$173,10 per hectare.

“Our expertise in soy has evolved, of course, not only due to our pioneering spirit in offering the main biotechnologies available – Roundup Ready (RR) and Intacta RR2 Pro, but also due to the important work of building and developing the Intacta 2 Xtend platform. It was a great learning experience to work in partnership with agronomists, scientific entities and scientists, who enabled adaptations and recommendations to different types of soil, climate and Brazilian planting”, he says. Marcio Santos, vice president of the commercial area of ​​the agricultural division of Bayer Brasil.

“This joint work was fundamental in shaping the specifications for the new technology, which we believe to be an extremely important tool for producers, responsible for the future of soybeans in Brazil. We want to contribute to increasingly sustainable crops that bring gains to the producer, whether in performance or reduced use of natural resources and inputs. Producers today have a more comprehensive view focused on correct management”, explains Santos.

The importance of this evolution is exemplified by production data from the last two decades, in which the country jumped from just over 32 million tons of soybeans (Conab, 2000) to almost 125 million tons (Conab, 2020). “This advance in the production and export of soybeans in our country was due to the continuous investment in research and development made by entities, public companies and private companies and, mainly, due to the entrepreneurship and professionalism of Brazilian producers”, adds Santos. 

Intacta 2 Xtend biotechnology provides more comprehensive protection against the main soybean caterpillars, expanding its scope of defense against two relevant species, Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera cosmioides, in addition to the four pests that are targeted by Intacta RR2 Pro technology. The tolerance of varieties with Intacta 2 Xtend and "Refúgio Dicamba is highly efficient in the management of broad-leaved weeds, such as horseweed, pigweed, viola and black pickerel.

Biotechnology offers integrated solutions to Brazilian soybean farmers designed and created with a strong collaborative chain. “The proximity and partnership with the farmer and experts in the testing fields brought diversity to a discussion necessary for the launch of any technology. There has always been a lot of transparency, science and exchanges that culminated in the best recommendation for use”, he comments Natália Carvalho, launch leader for the Intacta 2 Xtend platform. For Natália, the company's concern with giving visibility to this partnership, a central point for the success of the new biotechnology, has always been very clear. “We have called this set of integrated solutions ‘The New Era of Soy’”, adds the executive. 

Producers Elected in the 20/21 harvest

In the previous harvest, almost 300 areas of "i2x Elected Producers" were planted to test and experiment with the Intacta 2 Xtend platform tools. The idea of ​​the project was to provide a complete experience — from planting to harvesting — recorded and monitored by field experts and also through Climate FieldView, Bayer's digital agriculture tool 

With monitoring, it was possible to establish operating protocols to obtain the best performance of the new platform and biotechnology in the fields. “We care about offering a complete and integrated solution to the farmer. It is not only the effectiveness of biotechnology, but also the support of a highly qualified field team and a broad training and qualification program for the entire production chain, so that we can obtain the best recommendations for the platform”, explains Natália. 

Feldhaus Farm was one of those chosen for the testing area, in the Cláudia region, close to Sinop, in Mato Grosso. According to Marcos Feldhaus, manager of the property that allocates five thousand hectares for soy production, Bayer's biotechnology was a transformation for the region's crop production. “We have planted varieties since the first generation of Intacta. Before technology, we had many problems with pressure from caterpillars and weeds, which, without a doubt, were mitigated with the arrival of biotechnology”, he reinforces. 

Marcos also highlights that the farm was the first to test the Intacta 2 Xtend biotechnology and that the Bayer team's consultancy was essential for understanding the new generation in the field. “We created a test area with four hectares and five varieties. We reached up to 80 bags per hectare with Intacta 2 Xtend biotechnology on the farm, a number above the average for the region. For us, the result reinforces the importance of these new proteins and the use of dicamba, as another tool for the producer”, concludes the producer.