EPA Okays Cruiser on Several Crops

GREENSBORO - Dec 31/04 - SNS -- Syngenta's Cruiser seed treatment insecticide has been approved for use on soybeans, dry edible beans, field peas, succulent beans, sweet corn and potatoes by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It can already be used on barley, corn, cotton, green beans, sorghum, sunflowers and wheat.

"Cruiser offers large-seeded vegetable growers superior protection against some of the most economically important insects of peas and dry beans. It offers growers an alternative to planter-box, in-furrow and early season foliar insecticide applications," said Jerry Johnson, crop manager for Syngenta Seed Treatment.

"With the option to add a fungicide seed treatment like Apron XL and Maxim 4FS, growers are protected against insects and diseases from the start, which results in improved stand establishment, enhanced plant vigor and increased yield potential."

For dry bean growers, the biggest insect threats are potato leafhopper, seedcorn maggot, beetles, wireworms and aphids. Hopperburn, caused by leafhoppers sucking juices from leaves, reduces early plant health early and limits crop development. Seedcorn maggot burrows into the seed, thereby slowing emergence and reducing stand establishment. Cruiser improves stand establishment, giving growers a head-start toward a successful harvest by protecting against early season damage caused by these insects.

Pea leaf weevil is one of the most important pests of peas. The weevil destroys the growing points on the plant by attacking seedlings and eating cotyledons and lower leaves. Pea growers also suffer leaf damage from bean leaf beetle and aphids. Cruiser reduces damage by pea leaf weevils and improves stand establishment. Cruiser also limits aphid populations, reducing the chance of leaf damage and subsequent virus transmission.

Syngenta said Cruiser protects against insects through both contact and stomach activity. Once absorbed through contact or feeding, the active ingredient in Cruiser, thiamethoxam, interferes with the receptors in the insect that transmit the message to feed. As a result, the insect stops feeding and the plant is protected.

Seed treatments deliver an exact amount of active ingredient to each seed and require less moisture to activate than granular insecticides. Significant damage may be done to the crop before a foliar application can be made, even if target pests are identified early. With a seed treatment, the protection is in place before the pest arrives.

Syngenta Crop Protection has teamed up with Milestone, a premier potato equipment company, to design a new liquid treating unit that is portable and utilizes an atomizing head and rotating drum to provide thorough coverage to the entire seed or seed piece, resulting in better distribution of the active ingredient for consistent uptake and effective control of insect pests.

Cruiser is a concentrated liquid formulation applied at a low use rate (0.125 lb. ai/acre) allowing growers to use a seed treatment with a minimal amount of water for dilution. For seed-borne late blight control, growers should apply mancozeb seed treatment dust at a labeled rate after application of Cruiser and Maxim 4FS seed treatments.

Thiamethoxam, the active ingredient in Cruiser, is rapidly translocated throughout the plant, providing complete protection through both contact and stomach activity. Once absorbed through contact or feeding, Cruiser interferes with the receptors in an insect that transmit the message to feed. As a result, the insect stops feeding and the plant is protected.