Bayer CropScience's new Poncho/VOTiVO corn seed treatment this week earned Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for soybeans, company officials say.

Poncho/VOTiVO is an new way to protect plant roots against nematodes, including soybean cyst nematodes, by using a biological barrier to prevent feeding, Bayer officials say. Testing has shown yield advantages in both crops -- an average 6- to 8-bushel-per-acre gain in corn and an average 1- to 2-bushel-per-acre gain in soybeans.

Soybean growers will soon have access to its protection, says Poncho/VOTiVO soybean product manager Marc Andrieux. "We're conducting large Research and Development trials this year to better explore its exact potential in soybeans," he says.

Bayer CropScience will continue to partner with seed companies, university Extension researchers and others to document performance against a wide range of insect and nematode pests, company officials say.

Bayer CropScience's new Poncho/VOTiVO corn seed treatment this week earned Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for soybeans, company officials say.