CropLife e-News

Protecting Corn From Birds

A corn seed treatment has been granted a crisis exemption for protection from birds.

Arkion Life Sciences LLC has received an Emergency Crisis Exemption to its Avitec seed treatment Section 18 label in Mississippi and Tennessee. Avitec protects corn seed from damage by blackbirds, grackles, crows, and other birds.

Bird damage to a cornfield happens after planting, when birds pull the young plants from the soil to eat the remains of the seed, says Ken Ballinger, Arkion vice president. The company has been granted the unusual crisis exemption this spring to give growers an effective way to protect their corn with a non-toxic seed treatment.

A new liquid formulation of the product is available to pre-treat the seed prior to planting. The added convenience for the grower will make the use of Avitec more widespread and effective in protecting the corn crop without any harm to birds.

For more information on the availability of Avitec, contact Arkion at 800-468-6324.