Silent but deadly, soybean cyst nematodes can be devastating to crop yields when unchecked. Farmers looking for an all-in-one seed treatment to protect against nematodes and early season foliar diseases may have a new option for 2025.  

Following approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Syngenta is set to introduce Tymirium technology, marketed as Victrato seed treatment in the first quarter of the new year.  

“Soybean plants grown in moderate to heavy SCN presence can lose as much as 40% to 50% total root surface area,” said Dale Ireland, seed care technical product lead at Syngenta. “If you’re not protecting your soybeans against soybean cyst nematode, oftentimes you don’t know the amount of root surface area you’re losing.” 

Small scars or galls appear on the root’s surface when nematodes feed on root systems. Syngenta’s Tymirium technology targets nematodes early, allowing roots to grow deeper and incur less overall root damage, Ireland said.  

“Galls, or spherical structures and deformities on fine roots destroy the efficiency of the root system to be able to uptake nutrients,” Ireland said.  

The issue below the soil’s surface may seem small, but Ireland said it has a profound impact on overall plant yields. 

“With the Victrato treatment, the root system is larger and deeper, as well as having more fine roots.” Ireland said. “The idea is once nematodes come into contact with Tymirium, the feeding stops, and the gall is not nearly as large as the check treatments in our studies.” 

Related:New soybean seed treatments set for 2025

With EPA approval, Victrato seed treatment could be a tool in farmers’ toolkits for a successful 2025 soybean season. 

“Tymirium technology is going to set a new level of protection against SCN and many other nematodes, as well as SDS, septoria brown spot and some suppression of frog eye leaf spot during the first half of the season,” Ireland said.