Bayer’s seed treatment Redigo is being replaced by new product Redigo Pro, which has the benefit of two azoles.

The new seed dressing for cereals is claimed to give growers improved control of disease over outgoing Redigo, with a combination of tebuconazole and prothioconazole.

It claims to give high-level control against major seed-borne diseases such as fusarium, bunt and Microdochium nivale.

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Bayer’s seed treatment manager Peter Stacey said: “We won’t be selling Redigo anymore. The tebuconazole in Redigo Pro is a faster-moving active than prothioconazole, which means it will get into the seed quicker. It controls blue mould and will greatly reduce the germination of treated ergot particles.”

Mr Stacey adds that the cost of new Redigo Pro should be similar for wheat, although the higher dose for barley means it will be slightly more expensive.

The recommended application rate is 0.5 litres/t on wheat and other small grain cereals except barley.

The dose should be increased to 0.67 litres/t for barley or where high levels of microdochium infection are present in other cereals.

While Redigo Pro can be used on barley, Mr Stacey says the specially tailored dressing Raxil Star (fluopyram + prothioconazole + tebuconazole), will normally be a more cost-effective option for barley growers.

This season Bayer has also reintroduced the insecticide Deter (clothianidin), which can be used alone or with Redigo Pro or Raxil Star, as an alternative to Redigo Deter (clothianidin + prothioconazole). Mr Stacey says a limited amount of Deter will be available for this year.

Both Deter and Redigo Deter products can be used on spring and winter barley.