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For decades, Midwest growers have been on the lookout for pests, such as bean leaf beetles, grasshoppers, leafhoppers and other sucking and chewing pests. But, in 2000, growers were introduced to a new significant pest from Asia: the soybean aphid.

“Growers have become accustomed to the early season worm protection provided by Bt corn, but with soybeans, growers face not only Lepidopteran pests, but also the increasing challenge of growing aphid pressure, Japanese beetles and other insects,” said David Rogers, Bayer CropScience insecticide product development manager. “Iowa State University has reported 2003 trials that showed a yield loss of 18 bu/A in an aphid-infested field. Growers are looking for ways to protect each and every bushel.”

Last year, Bayer CropScience introduced Leverage® 2.7 insecticide to help soybean growers reclaim some of their yield loss from sucking and chewing pests. Leverage 2.7 combines two modes of action that provide both contact and in-plant protection from a broad spectrum of pests, including aphids, bean leaf beetles, stink bugs, plant bugs and adult corn rootworms.

Leverage 2.7 protects both sides of the soybean leaves with its translaminar properties.

“Aphids feed on the sap on the underside of the leaves; Leverage 2.7 provides that whole-leaf protection and therefore guards against aphid impact,” Rogers said.

The two modes of action in Leverage 2.7 not only provide rapid pest knockdown, but also residual protection.

“Leverage 2.7 provided longer residual activity than other insecticides we used in the past,” said Pete Crew, Spencer Agronomy Services president, Ruthven, Iowa. “It definitely did a good job of controlling aphids and bean leaf beetles. I’ll definitely recommend it to my growers again this year.”

In addition to pest control, the insecticide helps plants thrive through Stress Shield™ protection. Leverage 2.7 with Stress Shield, helps protect plants from environmental stresses, which allow for more vigorous, healthy plants and diminishes negative plant response during drought periods.

“Even without bad weather or stress last year, we saw that Stress Shield made the soybean plants look healthier into harvest time,” Crew said.

For more information about Leverage 2.7 insecticide with Stress Shield, growers should contact their local Bayer CropScience representative or visit www.BayerCropScienceUS.com.

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of about EUR 6.4 billion (2008), is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of more than 18,000 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.newsroom.bayercropscience.com.

Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer (reg’d), the Bayer Cross (reg’d), Leverage® and Stress Shield™ are trademarks of Bayer. Leverage 2.7 is a Restricted Use Pesticide and is not registered in all states. For additional product information call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our Web site at www.BayerCropScienceUS.com

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