NewLeaf Symbiotics has launched TS201, its first EPA-registered biocontrol technology to repel corn rootworm (CRW) pest activity.

NewLeaf’s TS201 technology introduces a new mode of action for CRW control, priming the plant’s own defenses to produce a compound that repels larvae at the root. Designed to complement existing crop protection and trait strategies, TS201 is effective in repelling CRW and boosting root mass. The company says when paired with the NewLeaf corn biostimulant, it provides yield protection both with and without CRW pressure.

Brent Smith, CEO and president of NewLeaf Symbiotics, said, “we’ve tested TS201 in lab assays and field trials to document its effectiveness and we found overwhelming success in the 10-year discovery and development process.”

NewLeaf’s lab testing has proven that when given a choice between treated and untreated roots, 80 percent of CRW larvae will choose an untreated root sample, while only four percent chose the treated sample.

The company stated that when applied in the field, growers also can experience yield advantages including crop retention, increase in yield, decrease in lodging and measurable results in root density. “Compared to the standard root growth farmers look to achieve, the TS201 technology provided nine percent more fine roots, 16 percent greater root surface area and 10 percent deeper roots,” noted a company news release.

NewLeaf’s TS201 technology is currently available through partnerships with Meristem Crop Performance in its GUARDX for corn product pending EPA approval, Low Mu Tech in its Terrasym 450+DUST + TS201 CRW product and AMVAC in its BioWake Prime bioinsecticide product. Additionally, NewLeaf is evaluating potential combinations of TS201 technology and other existing products ahead of the 2024 planting season and beyond.