Gaucho, a seed-applied insecticide, has gained EPA approval for use on soybean seed to protect against soybean aphids and bean leaf beetles, Bayer CropScience announced last week.

Soybean seed treated with Gaucho will be available for immediate sale and use within the United States, the company said. The product will be widely available for the 2006 growing season.

For the past two years, Gaucho has been given a Section 18 emergency use registration for soybeans in some states.

“We are excited about this registration of Gaucho for application to soybean seed,” says Paul Holliday, product manager for Bayer CropScience. “Gaucho is a proven performer in many crops and performed very successfully on soybean acres in 2003 and 2004 under the Section 18 registrations.”

Gaucho on soybean seed is recommended for control of early season aphids up to 65 days after planting. “Early season aphid infestations have been identified as causing a reduction in pod numbers on the soybean plant,” says Ray Knake, technology development manager with Bayer CropScience. When conditions are favorable for aphid reproduction and survival, which result in aphid numbers above threshold, a later-season insecticide spray may also be warranted.

“Gaucho is also a smart choice for growers concerned about bean leaf beetles,” Holliday says. Gaucho reduces bean leaf beetle feeding and aids in reducing the bean pod mottle virus carried by over-wintering populations of the beetle.

Holliday recommends Gaucho as part of a comprehensive soybean management program. “Gaucho is designed to be part of an overall bean leaf beetle management program that includes foliar sprays of the true first generation beetles,” he says.

Field research has shown that using Gaucho on soybean seed not only reduces insect damage to the plants but can lead to increased yields as well, Knake says.

Source: Bayer CropScience news release.

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