A valuable new tool in nematode management has arrived in Australia with the highly anticipated release of Velum® Prime by Bayer, a fast acting, long lasting nematicide that provides targeted control of plant-parasitic nematodes, while maintaining soil health.
Bayer Business Development Manager - Horticulture Troy Mulcahy inspecting a South Australian Velum Prime trial in fresh market potatoes.
Velum Prime offers growers a new mode of action to combat nematodes. Extensive field trials across five Australian states that have demonstrated its effectiveness at safeguarding root and tuber vegetables including carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes.
“Velum Prime’s been a long time coming to Australia,” Bayer Territory Business Manager for Horticulture, Darren Alexander, said.
“We already had registration in the United States and United Kingdom and the local trials have been incredibly positive.”
Velum Prime’s active ingredient fluopyram works by inhibiting complex II within the mitochondrial respiration chain in nematode cells, resulting in mortality.
“It is a different mode of action. There is no other registered nematicide that is working on the complex II mitochondria, so we're coming at the pest from a different angle,” Darren said.
“When nematodes come into contact with fluopyram they aren’t able to move on to the next stage of respiration, become paralysed and then subsequently die.”
Classified as a Group N-3 nematicide and Group 7 fungicide, Velum Prime doesn’t require specialist application equipment and can be applied as a broadcast spray, via trickle irrigation or directly in the furrow at planting.
“It was designed to be applied in soil and to target the juvenile stages of the nematode species prior to and at feeding on root tissue of a host plant,” Damien Odgers, Bayer Crop Science National Sales Manager for Horticulture, said.
“Velum Prime is what we consider a new generation nematicide. This is important, because historically, growers in root and tuber vegetable crops have been using a range of other crop protection products, namely harsh organophosphate chemistries to control nematodes.
“These products aren't selective to just plant-parasitic nematode species but also impact a range of beneficial microflora in soils.
“They've also had access to other tools such as soil fumigants, which are indiscriminate in the way they work.
“Now they have a product that is much more selective to the parasitic nematode target and it’s working in a different manner, by way of a new mode of action. From a nematode resistance management point of view Velum Prime delivers a new tool to use in rotation with other products.”
Darren said Velum Prime is also highly residual.
“It works by sitting in the soil, adhering to organic matter and soil particles, providing long lasting protection of root tissue as it's growing through the soil.”
Velum Prime was registered for use in August 2024, with strong demand from growers and agronomists who were ready and waiting to incorporate it into their nematode management systems, on the back of extensive field trials across Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
“Bayer has always been a company that prides itself in Australia on doing a lot of local work to demonstrate product performance in local conditions and Velum Prime was no different,” Damien Odgers said.
“Past the development phase, there was also a series of large-scale field demonstration trials conducted, mainly with sweet potato, carrot and potato.
“Along the way we learned a lot about the length of residual control of the product and the superior performance over standard products used by growers.”
A benefit of the superior performance is Velum Prime’s cost effectiveness for growers, compared to competitor products on the market.
“During the development phase in those commercial demonstration trials, we measured the marketable yield improvements as a result of using Velum Prime in moderate to high pressure nematode locations,” Damien said.
“Trials showed marketable yield benefits ranging between 5 and 20 percent against competitor products across the three main crops of sweet potato, potato and carrot.
“We were able to quantify the return on investment for the grower, and I think that’s really important.”
“The beauty of working with vertically integrated growers is that they can follow crop quality right through to the packing shed and obtain an analysed report to measure quality improvements that they might've had from using Velum Prime,” Darren Alexander said.
“In many cases, it’s worked favourably for them, and they have implemented Velum Prime into their 2024-25 cropping season.”
Velum Prime forms part of Bayer’s Roots2Success offering, supporting growers from the ground up with a holistic approach to improving root and soil health.
“Root2Success is Bayer's global integrated solutions initiative, focused on enhancing root and soil health for growers,” Darren said.
“In Australia, we're now offering growers a combination of three products from the Root2Success program; Emesto® Prime, Serenade® SOIL ACTIV and Velum Prime.”
Emesto Prime is a Group 7 Rhizoctonia fungicide and Serenade SOIL ACTIV is a root colonising bacteria that helps plants access soil resources including improving water and nutrient absorption to support a healthier plant.
“Now we’re bringing in a third product, Velum Prime, that is compatible, so we're looking at a great offering between three products that can really improve growers’ crops,” Darren said. “Given its selectivity, Velum Prime is a very complimentary tool to the regenerative approach to growing food, and growers are looking for complimentary products to enhance, rather than antagonise that system,” Damien added.
“This is a great example of a product that allows them to target parasitic nematode populations without upsetting the balance of beneficial microflora that they're building in their soils.”
Potato growers looking to improve their nematode management strategies are also encouraged to access Predicta Pt testing, a DNA-based soil and peel testing service developed by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).
The testing is helping growers identify soil-borne pathogens and pests including nematodes and featured prominently during field testing of Velum Prime.
“It's a very useful step if you're going into ground and you don't know what might be there,” Darren Alexander says.
“Doing a Predicta Pt test will give you a range of what diseases and nematodes you could be up against, and it will also give a rating of low, medium or high risk.
“If the test shows you’re going into an area where nematodes are a problem, then a tool like Velum Prime is definitely going to assist you.”
This article was written by Bayer for Seasons magazine.
Disclaimer - important, please read:
Elders provides recommendations to the best of its knowledge and based on assumptions and information which it understands to be up to date, complete and accurate. If you are aware of any error or inaccuracy with the information on which this recommendation is based, you must immediately bring this to Elders’ attention. This recommendation is provided for your use only, and not that of any other third party. In some circumstances, the information Elders provided may be in summary form or derived from information sourced from third parties, however, Elders has not independently verified the information and cannot guarantee its accuracy.
You should always carefully evaluate all available information and consult Elders or another advisor further before you commit to any course of action or rely on any recommendation. Additionally, Elders expects that you will use your knowledge, experience and best judgement in relying on any recommendation and determining whether the recommendation is, and continues to be, appropriate. Elders do not accept liability or responsibility for any indirect, consequential or economic loss or damage of any kind arising from your acceptance or reliance on this recommendation. To the fullest extent permitted by law, all guarantees, warranties or implied terms and conditions are expressly excluded and Elders’ liability with respect to any services provided is limited to re-supply of the services, or the cost of having the services re-supplied. Elders may from time to time recommend products or services for which it may receive a financial incentive (rebate, commission, benefit, etc) from a supplier/manufacturer directly related to your purchase or use of that product or service.