Intacta RR2 PRO®

Breaking ground in soybean technology

What does farming more sustainably mean to you? To us, it means exploring more ways to grow more with less, increasing resource efficiency and the yield potential of your soybean crop. From the very start, soybeans are under attack from insect pests and face competition from weeds.

The introduction of INTACTA RR2 PRO^® brings a new choice in insect control and convenience to farmers increasing productivity, efficiency and value leading to yields of higher quality and quantity.

With Bayer’s new soybean trait Intacta Roundup Ready 2 PRO^®, we are breaking ground and opening a world of possibilities for your farm, providing benefits that will help you improve productivity, resource efficiency and yield potential – helping you farm more sustainably and grow more with less.

How can Intacta RR2 PRO^® technology benefit your farm?

Intacta RR2 PRO technology holds three key benefits that make this trait combination stand out in the market:

• PROTECTION against major pests that attack soybeans like African bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera)
• Increased yield potential through repositioned herbicide trait on the soybean DNA to MAXIMISE yield
• IMPROVED tolerance to glyphosate herbicide provided by Roundup Ready 2 (RR2) Technology.
  
  

PROTECTION against major pests that attack soybeans like African bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera)

One of the main benefits of Intacta RR2 PRO^® technology is the protection against one of the most devastating insect pests in soybean production, the African Bollworm. African Bollworm moths lay their eggs on the soybean plant, after 3-5 days the eggs hatch and the caterpillar emerge. It is this larval stage that causes damage to the plant through direct feeding on the plant. African Bollworm feeding can lead to significant economic losses to growers due to a loss in not only the quantity of yield, but a loss of quality as well.

How does Intacta RR2 PRO^® technology offer protection?

• Resistance to African Bollworm is transferred through a Bt protein produced in Intacta RR2 PRO^® Soybeans
• The larval stage of the African Bollworm feeds on the Intacta RR2 PRO^® soybeans, ingesting the Bt protein
• Once inside the caterpillar, the Bt protein is dissolved in the high pH of the insect gut, becoming active
• These active Bt proteins attack the gut cells of the insect pests creating holes in the lining, leading the osmotic changes and finally spillage of the gastric juices
• The larvae stop feeding and die within 72 hours
  
  

Increased yield potential through repositioned herbicide trait on the soybean DNA to MAXIMISE yield

Intacta RR2 PRO^® technology is helping farmers increase their yield potential by allowing farmers to farm more efficiently, sustainably, and ultimately more profitably. Through extensive research on a molecular level, the Roundup Ready 2 gene was placed precisely in a region of the soybean’s DNA, resulting in a positive impact on the yield performance.

Several key factors contribute to this increase in yield potential:

• This higher yield potential is a direct result of the repositioning of the glyphosate-tolerance trait on the DNA of the soybean
• Protection from devastating yield losses caused by African Bollworm feeding through the introduction of the Bt gene
• Increased efficiency through a reduction in the number of applications of insecticides to the soybean
  
  

IMPROVED tolerance to glyphosate herbicide provided by Roundup Ready 2 (RR2) Technology

The improved tolerance to glyphosate is a crucial benefit in Intacta RR2 Soybeans. This characteristic guarantees the health of the soybean crop and allows the growth of plants, even with the application of herbicides. The insertion of this gene allows farmers to control weeds consistently and effectively right from the very start. Keeping soybean fields weed-free is crucial to prevent competition from weeds which rob the soybeans of important nutrients, water and sunlight.

How does glyphosate work?

When applied to the weeds, glyphosate is absorbed and, by translocation, moves through the tissues of the plant. This inhibits the activity of the EPSP synthase enzyme and prevents the plant from producing certain types of amino acids essential for plant growth and life. Transgenic cultures contain an exogenous copy of the gene encoding EPSPS synthase, which constantly and at high levels produces the enzyme that glyphosate inhibits and is therefore tolerant of it. The improved tolerance to glyphosate is a crucial benefit in Intacta RR2 Soybeans. This characteristic guarantees the health of the soybean crop and allows the growth of plants, even with the application of herbicides. The insertion of this gene allows farmers to control weeds consistently and effectively right from the very start. Keeping soybean fields weed-free is crucial to prevent competition from weeds which rob the soybeans of important nutrients, water and sunlight.

What is a refuge area and why is it so important?

A refuge area is a vital tool in insect-resistance management and protecting this technology for years to come. A refuge area is a portion of the farm or field which is not planted with Bt technology so that a portion of the African Bollworm population is never exposed to this technology. The purpose of this refuge area is to ensure that there is always a population of Bt-susceptible moths which can mate with Bt-tolerant moths (should they exist in the natural population), resulting in offspring which will be Bt-susceptible.

Refuge should be planted according to the minimum recommendations indicated for soybean which is 20% of the total planted area. Refuge should be planted within seven days of Intacta RR2 PRO^® planting. Adopt the following insect resistance management (IRM) procedures. 20% of the area of land to be planted with this event must be planted with non-Bt soybeans within 400 m from this event. This non-Bt soybean must be treated with insecticide (excluding those with Bt-containing substances) registered for control of H. armigera.

The following requirements are therefore set for the 20% structured refuge when planting Intacta RR2 PRO^®

• The maximum distance between the refuge area and soybean plantation should be 400 meters.
• Varieties of the same growth class should be used
• Application of Bt-based insecticide in refuge areas is not recommended
• The refuge area (non-Bt) must be located on the same farm and under the same growing conditions property where Intacta RR2 PRO^® technology is planted
  

It is important that farmers still carry out constant monitoring and use the additional measures of Integrated Pest Management (MIP) to ensure the efficacy of the trait.