Teraxxa seed treatment from BASF is the first and only seed treatment capable of eliminating wireworms

 

 

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., January 15, 2021 – BASF is arming cereal growers with a powerful new seed treatment to combat wireworms. TeraxxaTM seed treatment will offer growers what no other currently registered treatment can: wireworm mortality. This new product was recently registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and will be available for the 2021 growing season.

 

The Challenge

Wireworm larvae in different life stages are active in wheat fields as they progress into a pupae and adult click beetles. Wireworm populations expand exponentially: over the course of three years two adult click beetles can grow to more than 200 adults and 1,000 wireworms. This type of pest population pressure can wreak havoc on a young wheat crop. In fact, growers can face a loss of more than 50 percent of seedlings, and those that survive may be stunted, further reducing yield in a field already taking a big hit.

 

“The insecticide seed treatment options on the market today have only been able to temporarily stun the wireworms,” said Rebecca Noble, Product Manager, Seed Treatments, BASF Agricultural Solutions. “Teraxxa’s game-changing active ingredient delivers direct wireworm mortality, reducing the population and its potential to cause feeding damage later in the season, and providing a path for long-term wireworm control. Other insecticides repel wireworms temporarily; Teraxxa eliminates them.”

 

The Solution

Broflanilide, the active ingredient in Teraxxa seed treatment, is a new class of chemistry: Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) Mode of Action Group 30. This innovation delivers a new mode of action to protect against wireworms. Broflanilide binds to the wireworm’s central nervous system causing hyperactivity of nerves and muscles, which ultimately eliminates the pest altogether. Trials show it to be highly effective with rapid wireworm mortality on contact across all species and life stages, with field studies showing 80 to 90 percent reduction in wireworms.

 

Teraxxa seed treatment will commonly be sold as Teraxxa F4 seed treatment, combining the wireworm stopping power of Teraxxa insecticide with four fungicides for broad-spectrum disease control in a pre-mixture formulation. The four fungicide modes of action provide the following benefits:

 

·       Protection against diseases, such as Fusarium root rot and seedling blight, Pythium damping off, Rhizoctonia root rot and common root rot.

·       Cold tolerance, rapid emergence and highly systemic disease protection against key seedling diseases.

·       Unique systemicity of Xemium® fungicide provides longer and more complete disease protection.

 

Teraxxa and Teraxxa F4 are the latest additions to BASF’s robust seed treatment and crop protection portfolio offering wheat growers superior protection against insects and diseases.

 

To learn more about Teraxxa and Teraxxa F4 seed treatments, contact your local BASF representative or visit https://agriculture.basf.us/crop-protection/products/seed-treatment/teraxxa.html.

 

Always read and follow label directions. Teraxxa is a trademark of BASF. Teraxxa is not registered in all states.

 

About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division

With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work – for farmers, society and the planet. In 2019, our division generated sales of €7.8 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.


About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 18,800 employees in North America and had sales of $18.4 billion in 2019.  For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.

 

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 117,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2019. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.