03/10/08 Stored grain protectant waits on Japan

Farm and Ranch March 10, 2008 Bayer Crop Science received a registration in 2006 for a new stored grain protectant called "Contain" with the active ingredient spinosid. Bayer's Glen Karaffa explains why you haven't yet seen Contain on the market. Karaffa: "We have two formulations, a dry and a liquid that are currently registered. Unfortunately we are waiting for Japan and their MRL tolerances to clear before we market this product. Japan is a very large grain trading partner of the U.S. and we have met with the National Association of Wheat Growers, U.S. Wheat Associates, the Sorghum Producers and all the other grain marketers, to assure them that we will make sure we have our tolerances cleared before we introduce the product. So that should happen in late 2009." Karaffa says Contain will have wide spectrum activity on all grain insects. Karaffa: "Including the lesser grain borer. And I am very excited about the future of this. This will be a next generation, clean and green. Can go directly into the food chain and we are excited about that." Farmers and grain elevators lost the product Reldan for treating stored grain but Karaffa says until Contain gets on the market Bayer's product Storecide II is still available. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.