Syngenta announced today a milligram per seed rate for the Dynasty® fungicide component of the company’s CruiserMaxx™ Sunflower seed treatment. The new rate for the Dynasty component of the CruiserMaxx Sunflower combination is 0.025 mg per seed.

Measuring rate in milligrams per seed can improve performance by offering consistent maximum dosing across variable sunflower seed sizes, and brings Dynasty in-step with the other fungicides and insecticide in the combination, said Cliff Watrin, technical manager for Syngenta Seed Care.

“A per-seed application rate helps seed treaters deliver more accurate dosing and more uniform coverage,” Watrin explained. “In the past, larger seed sizes received a higher effective dose of active ingredient and smaller seed, commonly found with many oil seed hybrids, received a lower dose of active ingredient. Now when that treated seed arrives on the farm, each seed in the bag is uniformly protected, even if a grower purchases different seed sizes.”

CruiserMaxx Sunflower, a promotional combination of separately registered products, also contains Cruiser® seed treatment insecticide to protect seed against wireworm, sunflower beetle and flea beetle, and Apron® XL and Maxim® 4FS seed treatment fungicides, which team up with Dynasty for protection against a broad-spectrum of fungal diseases including Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, damping off, seedling blight and suppression of seedling downy mildew.

“Seed and seedlings face a wide variety of challenges in the spring,” said Watrin, “The combination of three fungicidal modes of action – and the boost that we get from consistent dosing of Dynasty – complements the insect protection from Cruiser to protect sunflower seeds and young stands. Seed treated with CruiserMaxx Sunflower demonstrates better stand establishment, more vigor, faster early-season growth and higher yield potential. A good start pays off all season long.”

Because CruiserMaxx Sunflower is applied by seed companies, growers don’t have to handle product or make hopper box treatments, Watrin added. Suggested grower price for CruiserMaxx Sunflower, delivered on the seed, is $70 per 200,000 seeds.

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2005 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further information is available at www.syngenta.com.

Apron®, Cruiser®, CruiserMaxx™, Dynasty®, Maxim® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.