Syngenta's seed treatment agent Nuello iN contains two major endophytes that provide continuous nitrogen supply throughout the growing season

This fall, for the first time, Syngenta offered Nuello® iN, a nitrogen-fixing endophyte seed treatment for winter wheat and barley seeds.

"Decisions made in preparation for this fall's wheat and barley planting should not just be about helping crops sprout. As growers focus on more efficient use of fertiliser, contemporary endophytic seed treatment technology allows plants to fix nitrogen from the air to meet their spring needs ", notes Dr Jonathan Ronksley, Field Technology Manager at Syngenta: Tillage methods, seed quantities, planting dates, and the use of seed treatments to control pathogens remain key factors in decision-making. But farmers are also looking for more efficient use of nitrogen fertilizer to make farms more sustainable, and this fall, for the first time, we're offering nitrogen-fixing endophyte seed treatment Nuello® iN for winter wheat and barley seeds."

The product contains two powerful nitrogen-fixing bacteria, Pseudomonas siliginis and Curtobacterium salicaceae, which enter plants from the developing roots, colonize plant tissues and fix nitrogen in the atmosphere. They provide the plant with organic nitrogen and ammonium salts, which benefit the plant throughout the growing season. The product can be used as a supplement to traditional fertilizers. iN addition, Nuello iN promoted early rooting, increasing by 20% in three winter wheat and winter barley trials. Enhanced root development helps crops absorb more nutrients from the soil.

Dr Ronksley noted that in four field repeats conducted on winter wheat in the UK last season, the N dose response curve showed that the yield benefit from Nuello iN seed treatment was equivalent to up to 30 kg/ha of additional N application on average. This is consistent with the results of 14 ADAS subfield trials iN the UK, where winter wheat treated with Nuello iN and reduced by 30 kg/ha standard N fertilizer yields were similar to those of winter wheat treated with full N fertilizer. Yields averaged 10.80 t/ha and 10.83 t/ha, respectively.

Dr. Ronksley noted that Nuello iN brings a 3:1 return on investment. On shallow soil sites, using Nuello iN and reducing nitrogen use by 30 kg/ha even resulted in a 5:1 return on investment." This makes sense because these types of soils typically have lower levels of available nitrogen. We also found that the average yield of Nuello iN shallow soils or second grain fields increased more when the standard 100% nitrogen fertilizer was applied in small repeat plots and subplots. We are also seeing yield gains from Nuello iN cross-breeding barley for winter feed, "explains Dr Ronksley.

 Dr Ronksley added: "When using Nuello iN, it is still important to apply the appropriate bactericidal seed treatment agent, such as Vibrance Duo, to control budding disease. Many of our trials have been using Nuello iN combination with Vibrance Duo."