Bayer helps farmers to beat blight, boost yields

While some Chinese people tend to think of southeastern China as the original region of rice, the fertile soil in Northeast China is also known for its quality rice.

Wang Tongli, a 36-year-old farmer in Suihua, Heilongjiang province, has been working in his fields for more than 15 years.

"Farmers are very dependent on the weather," he said, adding that if the weather is not good, it can be a disaster.

When a storm struck his fields in 2012, rice seedlings in his 8-hectare fields were affected, resulting in 16,000 yuan ($2,400) in losses.

The disaster prompted his decision to use Nativo, a fungicide produced by Bayer Crop Science Division, which can help seedlings to survive the strong wind and are effective against rice blast, rice false smut, sheath blight and other diseases.

"If I had used Nativo, it would not have been as terrible as it was," he said. To date, he has used the chemical for four years.

Since then, Wang has spent nearly 4,000 yuan on 2 kilograms of Nativo annually for his paddy fields. It helps to increase the polishing percentage of rice.

"Without Nativo, 1 kg of rice grains can only produce, at most, 600 grams of yield. But after using Nativo, the yield can be increased to more than 720 grams," Wang said.

"The effect is clear and satisfying," he said. "I have recommended Nativo to my neighbors, and now they all use it." Wang is one among thousands of farmers in Suihua, where 84,667 hectares of the 216,000 hectares of crop fields are rice paddies.

Most of local farmers each own more than 6.67 hectares of fields. Their planting techniques are more advanced than their peers in neighboring areas.

Most of the planting procedures are mechanized in Suihua's rural areas. Yet weeds, insect pests, crop lodging and other plant diseases are still troublesome.

"Bayer has committed itself to dealing with the practical problems that farmers have encountered and have rolled out a package of solutions in recent years," said Liu Zhongke, senior area sales manager of Bayer Crop Science Division in Heilongjiang province.

Bayer Crop Science launched the Bayer Much More Rice project in China in 2013, aiming to provide more solutions to rice farmers in a bid to increase their profits.

It performed thousands of controlled trials in major rice planting areas in China to test their products' effects.

In cooperation with the National Agricultural Technical Extension and Service Center under the Ministry of Agriculture, it finished hundreds of trials in eight provinces in China over the past three years.

The fields using Bayer's products showed improvement in crop growth conditions in terms of leaves, heights and roots of rice seedlings, as well as prevention of insects and diseases, according to the ministry.

The results released by the ministry show that, compared with products used in regular practices, Bayer can reduce the dosage by at least 30 percent. Bayer's product also only needs to be applied to crops twice.

The loss caused by diseases and insect pests can be reduced to within 3 percent. The rice yield can increase at least 10 percent after using the products.

"We also recommended unmanned aerial vehicles to assist farmers in spraying crop protection products, which won popularity with farmers," Liu said.

"It is our responsibility to bring wealth to farmers, and to bring health to consumers," said Chang Jiuling, director at a local rice production company.

His company will promote more cooperation with farmers who use Bayer's products, Chang said.

In the spring, farmers ploughed and harrowed the fields, and planted the rice seedlings. In the summer, they removed weeds and applied the drugs. Now, after half a year's work, it's time to harvest.

A strong wind struck Wang's fields recently, but the rice stems stood firm and upright.

"We will have a good harvest this year," Wang said. "I trust in Bayer's products."

Li You contributed to this story.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

Leading farms into the future

Bayer, a leading global innovation company in the fields of healthcare and crop science, has been committed to the sustainable growth of agriculture in China.

With its exchanges with China dating back to 1882, the company has cooperated with the Chinese government in agriculture over the past 60 years.

Its Crop Science Division has since introduced new technologies to Chinese farmers, ranging from Decis, an insecticide in the early 1980s, to Luna Sensation, a fungicide for a wide range of vegetables and fruit, launched in 2014.

Nativo is also a fungicide for paddy fields. Its effects include prevention and treatment of rice blast, rice false smut, sheath blight and other diseases.

By promoting the nitrogen-utilized effects on plants, it can improve crop yields and quality.

In March 2015, the Crop Science Division launched six new innovative products in China covering crops of rice, corn, wheat, vegetables and fruits.

More than 20 new products are planned to be launched by 2020.

As a global player, Bayer's production site in Hangzhou is not only supplying products for domestic use, but also for farmers in Asia and North and Latin America.