| Biowheat

Expodireto Special: Biotrigo guides control of oat and ryegrass infestations

Expodireto will launch a new technology that integrates genetics with tolerance to herbicides used to control infestations in wheat crops

02.03.2020 | 20:59 (UTC -3)

Daniela Wiethölter Lopes

Do you have problems with oat and ryegrass infestations? If you have, you know that these weeds are considered enemies of wheat because they compete for essential elements such as water, light, nutrients, CO² and physical space. In its proper name - Plantas Daninhas - it already refers to the main reason: it causes damage and, especially, losses. In wheat crops, oats and ryegrass are responsible for up to 50% of potential losses, according to data from the ABC Foundation. At Expodireto Cotrijal, which takes place in Não-Me-Toque (RS), between March 2nd and 6th, a new technology in Brazil will be presented to help wheat producers control these infestations. TBIO Capricho CL is the first Brazilian wheat from the Clearfield Production System in wheat, the result of a partnership between Biotrigo and BASF. The technology was created with the aim of solving the problem of resistance of some weed species to ACCase or ALS inhibitor herbicides. The Biotrigo stand is located on Avenida B - plant production area of the exhibition park.

According to Giliardi Dalazen, PhD in phytotechnics and professor at the State University of Londrina (UEL), Clearfield is already used in other wheat-producing countries, such as Canada and Australia. In Brazil, they have excellent results in rice cultivation. “This technology will help producers manage some important weeds in wheat, such as ryegrass, oats and turnip. In the case of ryegrass - the main weed in the crop - the greatest benefit is to control ryegrass biotypes resistant to glyphosate, ACCase inhibitors (graminicides) and ALS inhibitors”, he highlights.

Result of genetic improvement

CL technology was introduced into wheat cultivars through conventional genetic improvement techniques. André Cunha Rosa, breeder and director of Biotrigo Genética, explains that the process involved crossing a genotype with the CL gene with other genotypes of interest. "This is not a transgenic event, but rather an induced mutation in the ALS gene, which provides selectivity to the herbicide imazamoxi in these cultivars”, he comments. Developing the first CL wheat took more than 10 years of research.

After this crossing, evaluations were carried out in the field and in laboratories to select the important characteristics for wheat cultivation, such as yield, industrial quality and disease resistance. “In addition to being tolerant to imizadolinone herbicides (IMI), more precisely to the active ingredient imazamoxi, this cultivar also has important agronomic characteristics, such as a good level of resistance to FHB, Mosaic and Bacteriosis”, he explains.

The cultivar is classified as Bread/Improver wheat and has a medium/late cycle and medium size. Sowing TBIO Capricho CL is recommended in the RS1, RS2, SC1, SC2, PR1, PR2 regions and for higher altitude regions in the PR3, SP2 regions. The cultivar is available for seed multiplication in the 2020 harvest.

Clearfield System

In Brazil, the Clearfield system has been used for more than a decade in rice. In wheat, it reaches producers as a very important tool for the effective control of weeds and for delivering a clean crop for the soybeans that follow. According to BASF's Rice and Wheat Marketing Manager, Vitor Bernardes, TBIO Capricho is the first Brazilian wheat tolerant to the post-emergent herbicide Raptor 70 DG. "The objective of bringing this technology to the Brazilian market is to enable the wheat farmer to effectively control weeds, one of the greatest challenges in cultivation. With this, we will contribute to productivity, grain quality and the farmer's profitability in the system productive soybean – wheat", he comments.

Selective application

For the ABC Foundation's technical research manager, Luis Henrique Penckowski, and the institution's herbology researcher, Eliana Fernandes Borsato, the technology allows the selective use of the Raptor 70DG herbicide, in addition to effectively controlling resistant ryegrass biotypes. to glyphosate and/or ALS inhibitors. “The difficulty in controlling ryegrass resistant to the herbicide glyphosate was making it unfeasible to use the crop as part of the rotation system. CL wheat and the use of Raptor 70DG in the post-emergence of wheat proved to be efficient in tests, making the crop viable because it allows the selective application of herbicides from the imidazolinone group”, they commented.

Recommendation

Giliardi makes recommendations regarding the use of technology. “The main recommendation is to plan the use of technology on the property and rotate it with other conventional cultivars. It is important that this cultivar is introduced into a cultivar rotation schedule, using it in 25 or 33% of the area cultivated with wheat each year, without repeating it in the same area in the following years. This will make it difficult to select weed biotypes resistant to the herbicide used, prolonging the useful life of the technology”, warns the professor.

Caio Nemitz, a rural producer from Manuel Viana, on the western border of Rio Grande do Sul, proved the effectiveness of Clearfiled technology in rice and was excited about the novelty in wheat. “The important thing is to use it appropriately, in one area per year and rotate crops. Within the technical recommendations, the technology has been efficient for many years”, he highlights.

Certified seeds

Fernando Michel Wagner, commercial manager for Latin America (Latam) at Biotrigo Genética and Director of Apasem (Paraná Association of Seed and Seedling Producers) explains that the use of pirated seeds disseminates invasive seeds and contaminates crops with herbicide-resistant weeds. “The best way to obtain a clean, productive and profitable crop is to invest in certified seeds of the cultivar”, he advises.

complete portfolio

During Expodireto, farmers will be able to see demonstration plots of 14 TBIO wheat cultivars and lines in the vegetative stage, already expressing some of their agronomic characteristics, at the Biotrigo stand. Biotrigo technicians will also be providing guidance on the indications, benefits, industrial quality, agronomic positioning of new technologies and also clarifying doubts about the sowing and sale of cultivars for the 2020 harvest. The Biotrigo stand is located on Avenida B.