Bayer Launches New Seed Flow Lubricant

Feb 26, 2014

Fluency Agent to Reduce Bee Risk at Planting

Bayer CropScience announced Wednesday, that it has created a brand-new product to be used when planting neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds.

As of this month, the product is commercially available to growers.

The news release said that flow lubricants are required by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency during the 2014 planting season with neonicotinoid-treated seeds.

Called Fluency Agent, it aims to reduce dust from treated seeds during the planting process.

“The introduction of Fluency Agent is our latest contribution to improve honey bee health in Canada,” Paul Thiel, VP Innovation and Public Affairs, Bayer CropScience said in a release.

Fluency Agent was tested in large-scale field studies in spring 2012 across North America, including 13,000 acres Ontario and Quebec, according to the news release.

The company said that a 400g container of the product treats about 50 bags of seed, is enough seed to plant 125 acres of corn. It costs $23.99 per container.

Bayer has a division of its company devoted to bee health research.

Video: USDA Feb Crop Report a WIN for Soybeans + 1 Year Trade Truce Extension

USDA took Trumps comments that China would buy more U.S. soybeans seriously and headline news that the U.S./China trade truce would be extended when Trump/Xi meet in the first week of April was a BIG WIN for soybeans this week! 2026 “Mini” U.S. ethanol boom thanks to 45Z + China’s ban of phosphates from Feb. – August of 2026 will not help lower fertilizer prices anytime soon! 30 mmt of Chinese corn harvest is of poor quality and maybe a technical breakout in wheat futures.

*Apologies! Where we talk about the latest CFTC update as of 10th Feb 2026, managed money funds covered their net short position in canola to the tune of +42,746 week-on-week to flip to net long 145 contracts and not (as we mistakenly said) +90,009 wk/wk to 47,408.