Fallow winter ground offers little sustenance for diseases, nematodes and insects, making planting time a veritable feast for those pests determined to deter our progress. In fact, those early season pests are credited with stealing more than 1.8 million bales of cotton each year.

That’s why every grower must deploy a good defense at planting. What happens in those First 40 Days sets the stage for harvest.

Growers who plant Stoneville® seed already receive COPeO® Prime nematicide and EverGol^® Prime fungicide in their base seed treatment. For fields under pressure from nematodes and thrips, growers can level up to the premium Aeris®/Trilex® Advanced to get thrips control and add modes of action to their disease and nematode seed protection.

“With Aeris, you get two sites of action on thrips and we’ve seen great consistency over the years with this imidacloprid and thiodicarb combination. Additionally, with thiodicarb, you’re getting the benefit of nematode control.  It’s really a two-pronged attack on the major pests of cotton,” says James Rutledge, Bayer Southeast Technical Service Representative for SeedGrowth Solutions. Research shows fields planted with seed treated with Aeris generally require fewer sprays for early-season insects, creating the potential for higher production and increased earning.

The combination of Aeris with Trilex Advanced adds disease protection to the nematode and insect protection package that Aeris brings.

“You’re getting all your early seedling diseases covered with Trilex Advanced,” Rutledge says. “With the Aeris and Trilex Advanced in tandem on the seed you’re really prepared for the common pests that are most likely to impact your stand and ultimately your yield.”

Growers each year question University of Georgia Extension Specialist Bob Kemerait regarding whether a premium fungicide seed treatment is necessary.

“In approximately one or two years out of five we’re going to have a year which is conducive to seedling diseases. So, less often than not are we going to need that extra seed treatment. The problem is that I can’t tell you which year that’s going to be,” Kemerait says. “It’s an insurance for not having to replant. Once you plant your seed, you have made your decision and you can’t do much more then, so it’s an insurance that I like growers to consider."

Growers considering a premium seed treatment can turn to the Bayer Technical Service Representatives for local expertise.