Lumivia

A flying start: field experience with Lumivia seed treatment

When you are laying the foundation for a harvest, cutting corners on seedling protection is essentially planning a replant. In our practice, while managing corn and sunflower fields, we have been using Lumivia from DuPont Ukraine for several seasons. It is one of those cases where an agronomist's peace of mind is worth the investment in a premium seed treatment.

Why it works

Lumivia is a systemic and contact product based on chlorantraniliprole. What does that mean in the field? First, protection of the root system starts from the very first day of germination. Wireworms — our main field enemy — simply avoid the treated seeds. Second, it is highly effective against the frit fly in cereals, preventing damage to the tillering node.

On-field application nuances

The product comes as a flowable suspension concentrate. From a logistics and mixing standpoint, it is convenient: the concentrate does not clog treatment machine nozzles and coats the seed shell evenly, forming a solid 'armor'. A critical aspect is dosage. Depending on the crop and the pressure of pests, we adjust the rate:

• Low rates (0.5–1.0 l/t) are sufficient for moderately infested fields where basic protection is required.
• Standard rates (2.0–3.0 l/t) are our go-to for intensive corn and sunflower production systems.
• Maximum rates (from 4.0 l/t) are applied when high populations of soil pests are present or on difficult crop rotations.

Although the product is classified as a Class 3 hazard, handling it is quite comfortable as long as standard protective measures are followed. Most importantly, there is no dusting during the planting of treated seeds, which is vital for environmental safety and operator health.

Practical verdict

The main advantage of Lumivia is predictability. The emergence is uniform, without the patches typically left by wireworms. For winter crops (wheat, barley, rapeseed), this ensures the plant enters winter as strong as possible. It is not the cheapest solution, but once you calculate the cost of a failed stand and replanting, the choice becomes clear.