Sugar beet cultivation used to be an onerous task. The plants had to be singled-out by hand and until a few decades ago, weed control was done exclusively by mechanical means. In many cases, the entire family would be kept busy doing this hard work for days on end. Moreover, the beet plants themselves were often damaged during these operations. It took a long time to find a selective herbicide that did not damage the particularly sensitive beet plants. So it was almost a sensation when Betanal came onto the market in 1968, for this was the first herbicide to make post-emergence control of weeds possible without affecting the sugar beet crop. Now two to three applications per season were enough to keep the major part of the weed threat reliably at bay. Betanal went on to become the generally accepted standard for weed control in sugar beet around the world.
Steady flow of improvements
Since its introduction in 1968, the product has undergone many rounds of improvement. Over the years, Bayer CropScience development scientists have been able to create a family of Betanal-containing ready mixtures, thus providing beet growers with customized solutions for their weed problems. Phenmedipham, the active substance in the pioneer product of 1968, has remained an important component of the mixture. “In all this time, there has not been a single observation of resistance to this active substance“, comments Jaroslava Govorovska, Global Product Manager for Betanal at Bayer CropScience. “Indeed, this also applies to desmedipham and ethofumesate – the other two important Bayer CropScience active substances that have been used in Betanal mixtures over the years.“ Betanal Expert, which is the most important Betanal product in most countries today, contains all three of them.
Formulation in focus
The formulation has been a central theme in the story of Betanal’s continuing development. In 2002, Bayer CropScience brought the newest product onto the market: Betanal Expert. This was the first example of the use of the so-called “advanced micro-droplet“ technology, which brings a further increase in efficacy. The technology ensures that small droplets develop within the spray emulsion which become very finely distributed on the leaf. This results in a particularly good, even distribution of the active substance on the target weeds, and thus optimal uptake by these plants. These days, less than half the amount of active substance is needed from what the pioneer product contained in 1968 – while controlling target weeds much more reliably.
But it isn’t just the efficacy that has been improved over the years: quality of the formulation has, too. The nightmare of the active substance crystallizing out has been brought under control for years now. It means fewer costs and less hassle for the user since cleaning efforts, for instance, are much lower. This constant process of product optimization has helped Bayer CropScience to maintain its position as global market leader in the sugar beet post-emergence herbicide sector. In order to keep this success story going, the Betanal-Team is already working on the next generation of products.
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