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Benefit for planting SmartStax® PRO with RNAi Technology*

December 14, 2021

Increasing pressure from the western corn rootworm (WCRW) and northern corn rootworm (NCRW) across the Corn Belt is making management of this problematic pest increasingly difficult. SmartStax® PRO with RNAi Technology is the next generation of corn rootworm (CRW) protection.

Corn rootworm larvae feeding on corn roots can cause considerable physical damage to a corn crop which can potentially result in severe economic loss. For every node of roots pruned by CRW larvae, farmers can expect up to a 15% yield loss on average.¹ Damaged roots impact a plant’s nutrient and water uptake ability and can potentially increase the risk of root lodging, making harvest challenging and time-consuming (Figures 1 and 2).

Built on the strong foundation of SmartStax® Technology, SmartStax® PRO with RNAi Technology introduces a new RNAi-based mode of action, making it the first product on the market with three modes of action for CRW control. SmartStax® Technology contains two modes of action for CRW control based on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins (Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 and Cry3Bb1). SmartStax® PRO with RNAi Technology builds on that proven SmartStax® Technology by using those same proteins and adding a new mode of action through RNAi (RNA interference) technology. This novel mode of action, when combined with the two existing B.t. modes of action, can help increase a farmer’s ability to control CRW while also helping to maintain trait durability.

Bayer is the first to develop RNAi Technology to combat CRW, which offers a new, third mode of action against the pest. By interfering with a corn rootworm’s ability to create a specific protein critical to its own survival, RNAi Technology effectively causes mortality after ingestion (Figure 1).

*SmartStax® PRO corn products will be commercially available for the 2022 growing season.

Bayer internal trials have shown that SmartStax® PRO with RNAi Technology provides better control of CRW than many leading competitive traits (Figures 2, 3, and 4). While this new technology provides improved control of CRW, proper management is still needed to help ensure the durability of this new trait. Growers should continue to employ best management practices such as crop rotation, use of soil insecticides with non-CRW traited products, etc. to manage CRW populations. Long-term corn on corn rotations with severe CRW pressure should be rotated to soybean to break the CRW life cycle.

^{*SmartStax® PRO corn products will be commercially available for the 2022 growing season.}

Figure 3. Comparison of corn plant roots protected with SmartStax® PRO with RNAi Technology and QROME® technology at Davenport, Iowa on July 1, 2021.

^{*SmartStax® PRO corn products will be commercially available for the 2022 growing season.}

Matthew Nelson

Technical Agronomist

Sources:

1 Tinsley, N.A., Estes, R.E., and Gray, M.E. 2012. Validation of a nested error component model to estimate damage caused by corn rootworm larvae. Journal of Applied Entomology. DOI:10.1111/j.1439-0418.2012.01776.x.

Hodgson, E. and Gassmann, A.J. 2015. Corn rootworm management update. Integrated Crop Management. Iowa State University.

Legal Statement

^{Bayer is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Bayer products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Bayer’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. SmartStax® PRO corn products will be commercially available for the 2022 growing season. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your seed brand representative for the registration status in your state.

IMPORTANT IRM INFORMATION: RIB Complete® corn blend products do not require the planting of a structured refuge except in the Cotton-Growing Area where corn earworm is a significant pest. See the IRM/Grower Guide for additional information. Always read and follow IRM requirements. Performance may vary, from location to location and from year to year, as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible and should consider the impacts of these conditions on the grower’s fields.Roundup Ready® 2 Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Channel®, Channel® and the Arrow Design® and Seedsmanship At Work® are registered trademarks of Channel Bio, LLC. Herculex® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design® is a trademark of BASF Corporation. Respect the Refuge and Corn Design® and Respect the Refuge® are registered trademarks of National Corn Growers Association. RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design™, Roundup Ready®, SmartStax® and VT Double PRO® are trademarks of Bayer Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2021 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.}

Benefit for planting SmartStax® PRO with RNAi Technology*

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