Bayer launches novelty for bed bug control with high shock and prolonged protection

To help soybean producers in Brazil combat one of the crop's worst pests, bedbugs, Bayer launches a new product for bedbug control in the country: the Curbix 200 SC insecticide. The solution, which is now available to soybean farmers in the 2021/2022 harvest, provides a high shock effect and a prolonged period of control against the insect. In the demonstration areas during the 19/20 and 20/21 harvests, a productivity of up to 1,5 more bags of soybeans was observed, compared to the producer's traditional management. In addition to its performance in combating bed bugs, its use is highly recommended for insecticide resistance management programs.

According to the professor at Unesp (Universidade Estadual Paulista), Geraldo Papa, the Curbix 200 SC product arrives at a crucial moment for the control of bedbugs in Brazilian agriculture. "It is very important that producers use product rotation with different modes of action to manage pest resistance. This context reinforces the importance of launches such as Curbix 200 SC on the market - with a new active ingredient for insect control , etiprole. Without a doubt, having another option to rotate with mixtures of neonicotinoids and pyrethroids and organophosphates will be very good for mitigating losses due to the brown stink bug, the insect that most worries soybean farmers today", says Papa.

In this way, it is possible to reduce the selection pressure of stink bugs to the classes of insecticides currently used, providing high levels of control of these pests in the crop. Stink bugs are considered one of the biggest threats to soybeans and, according to Embrapa, the insects are responsible for productivity losses ranging between 20% and 30% in Brazil.

Curbix 200 SC controls bedbugs in two ways: through ingestion and, mainly, through contact. According to Bayer's Insecticide Marketing Manager, Renato Carvalho, one of the forms of contact occurs when the product is applied directly to the insect, resulting in rapid mortality of the bed bug.

"But as not all insects are directly affected by the product, the most common contamination is tarsal contamination, that is, when the stink bug moves over the surface of the plant containing the product. And, in this case, two points are very important - due to Due to its physical-chemical characteristics, Curbix 200 SC remains in plant tissues for longer and has greater resistance to washing by rain. In other words, the product remains on the surface of the plant for longer, increasing stink bug mortality," he says Oak.

Results on the field

With more investments in research and development, Bayer carried out field tests with the Curbix 200 SC and the results obtained surpass other products.

"In the last two harvests, we went to the field to test the product in the farmer's reality. An extremely important fact that we observed was the prolonged period of control. In areas where Curbix 200 SC was applied, the effectiveness was still greater than 70% at 14 " says Bayer's Crop Protection Launch Manager, Erick Cancian.

In terms of productivity, the results also exceeded expectations, says the executive. "Greater protection against bedbugs contributes to better quality of soybean grains and seeds, which has a direct impact on the producer's profitability. The Curbix 200 SC presented 75% of victories compared to the main competitors on the market. And when we analyze the average increase of productivity in these areas, we are talking about approximately 1,5 bags of soybeans more per hectare. It is, without a doubt, a result to be celebrated", he says.