Syngenta

Canada

The wait is over.

Introducing Equento® Cereals.

Your winning move against wireworms.

Wireworms are among the most economically significant early-season stress factors for many western Canadian crops. Living for several years in the soil and utterly resistant to adverse conditions, they’re difficult to detect and even more difficult to control. Until now.

With Equento® Cereals seed treatment, you can seed with confidence, even under high wireworm pressure.

Equento Cereals logo with a pink and brown leaf-like graphic.

Introducing Equento® Cereals

The power of PLINAZOLIN® technology

Double defense against wireworms

Uncompromised early season protection

Equento® Cereals in action

Dig into the power of Equento® Cereals

The most reliable wireworm mortality solution for your cereal acres

Powered by PLINAZOLIN® technology, a novel Group 30 active ingredient for unrivalled control of wireworm populations this season, reduced wireworm populations for next year. 

Double defense against wireworms - contact activity kills wireworms as they contact the seed, while systemic protection guards your growing seedling from feeding. Two modes of action, protection from seeding through establishment. 

More active ingredients than any other fungicide/insecticide cereal seed treatment to protect your seed against early-season threats.

Added benefits of Vigor Trigger™ and Rooting Power® to help get crops off to a stronger, more vigorous start.

Formulation tested for treatability and plantability under Western Canadian environments.

Equento® Cereals contains PLINAZOLIN® technology, a trademarked new active ingredient, which provides unrivalled below-ground pest mortality. This new technology has a unique Group 30 mode of action to control wireworms.

Work done by AAFC Canada, in partnership with Syngenta and others, showed that the commercial rate of PLINAZOLIN® technology (7.5 gai/100kg seeds) provided 91% reduction in wireworms compared to the check.

Click on the pink hotspots to learn more about key attributes of PLINAZOLIN® technology.

The power of PLINAZOLIN® technology

Illustration of a green plant growing from a seed with blue glowing energy and dashed lines.

Source: van Herk WG, Vernon RS, Labun T, Spies J. Isocycloseram, a novel isoxazoline insecticide seed treatment for protection of wheat and barley and mortality of wireworms, Limonius californicus (Coleptera: Elateridae). J Econ Entomol. 2024 Oct 14; 117(5): 1926-1937. n = 9

High

Low

PLINAZOLIN® technology
FS100 A-22241C

14C Intensity

A horizontal rainbow color gradient from red to white, with curved top and bottom edges revealing a dark green background.

Source: Jealotts Hill, 2019 - Wheat plants 14 DAS

Heat-map image of plant seedlings, showing roots and shoots.

0.1 mg ai/seed

False-color image: Two panels, each with three neuron-like cells and processes, varying intensity.

0.01 mg ai/seed

0.1 mg vs. 0.1mg ai/seed

Thiamethoxam
CRUISER®

PLINAZOLIN® technology (EQUENTO®) remains bound to the wheat seed with limited movement in the stem and into the roots.

THIAMETHOXAM (CRUISER®) is systemic, with high levels uptake and movement in the plant.

Double-defense against wireworms

Equento® Cereals is the only seed treatment to feature two modes of action for double-defense against wireworms.

The long-lasting contact activity of PLINAZOLIN® technology kills wireworms as they come into contact with the treatment on the seed, both from ingestion and dermal contact, quickly protecting the crop.

Systemic protection of thiamethoxam guards the growing seedling from stem feeding and later season flushes, allowing the plant to progress past the point of economic damage.

This complimentary combination of contact and systemic activity provides defense from seeding through stand establishment, protecting more plants, therefore your yield potential.

These lab images show the treatment mobility in action:

PLINAZOLIN® technology (EQUENTO®) remains bound to the wheat seed with limited movement in the stem and into the roots.

FS100 A-22241C

THIAMETHOXAM (CRUISER®) is systemic, with high levels uptake and movement in the plant.

Images represent total 14C, which may include parent and metabolites​.

Left to right: Raxil Pro Shield, untreated (bare seed), Equento® Cereals

Equento® Cereals

Raxil® PRO SHIELD

Untreated (bare seed)

Multiple green plants with roots on a white gridded board for measurement.

Uncompromised early-season protection

Source: Syngenta Canada research authorization trial, Okotoks, AB. Photo taken 38 days after seeding.

Performance evaluations are based on field observations and public information. Data from multiple locations and years should be consulted whenever possible. Individual results may vary depending on local growing, soil and weather conditions.

The presence of wireworms plus abiotic stress can exaggerate the impact of tough spring conditions on your crop.

Equento® Cereals contains two insecticide and four fungicide active ingredients, protecting your cereal acres against key diseases and pests, so you can enjoy peace of mind while you watch your crop get off to a strong start.

Equento® Cereals features the added benefits of:

  • Vigor Trigger™, which helps your cereals get off to a stronger, more vigorous start and faster emergence – even in tough, cool early-season conditions.
  • Rooting Power®, for larger more robust root systems, which are critical in building yield.

Performance evaluations are based on field observations and public information. Data from multiple locations and years should be consulted whenever possible. Individual results may vary depending on local growing, soil and weather conditions.

Equento® Cereals in action

Unrivalled performance

We put Equento® Cereals up against the only other wireworm mortality product available on the market - Teraxxa® F4.

In research authorization trials (including large-scale field trials) in 2024 and 2025, Equento® Cereals controlled wireworms and improved early season stand establishbment, delivering more yield +50% of the time over Teraxxa® F4.

Bar chart: Yield difference (bu/ac) for 29 items, ranging from -7.5 to +12.

Equento® Cereals vs. Teraxxa® F4
Syngenta research authorization trials in Western Canada, 2024 - 2025 (n = 29)

Teraxxa® F4

Equento® Cereals

Performance in the field

2025 Syngenta Research Authorization trial in spring wheat, Vulcan, AB.

A field with rows of young green crops, brown soil, stubble, distant buildings, mountains, and a pink line.

Photos taken: Photo 1 - May 14, 2025 (26 days after planting), Photo 2 - June 10, 2025 (46 days after planting)

Performance evaluations are based on field observations and public information. Data from multiple locations and years should be consulted whenever possible. Individual results may vary depending on local growing, soil and weather conditions.

Equento® Cereals

Cruiser® Vibrance® Quattro

Teraxxa® F4

Left to right: Teraxxa® F4, Equento® Cereals, Cruiser® Vibrance® Quattro

See powerful below-ground wireworm control in action

Using advanced imaging, this video shows what’s happening beneath the soil.

Frequently asked questions

Scouting will help you identify the presence and extent of wireworms in your soil. Use bait balls or wheat traps ahead of planting to identify if wireworms are present. In season, leverage Vernon pitfall traps to monitor click beetle (mature wireworms) populations, capture mating males, and reduce egg laying in problem areas. Watch for signs of wireworm feeding, including hollow seeds, dead seedlings, shredded stems, and/or gaps and thinning in otherwise healthy stands.

In spring, dig soil samples in areas where you suspect wireworms. Wireworm feeding happens primarily underground. Be aware that in dry conditions, wireworms can burrow up to one meter deep.

Remember, fields with wireworms can be impacted for several years due to the pest's long lifecycle. Practicing a crop rotation strategy can help reduce populations and mitigate the devastation to prime crops.
Although wireworms can't be eradicated, seed treatments and crop protection products can reduce their impact and decrease your crop's susceptibility to soil-borne disease.

If you have high to moderate wireworm pressure, reach for Equento® Cereals.

Many experts agree – even low populations of wireworms can be cause for concern. If you have low wireworm pressure, consider Cruiser Vibrance Quattro as part of a proactive wireworm management strategy. Continue to be confident in using Cruiser® Vibrance® Quattro to protect your cereal crop from wireworms and disease, for a vigorous plant stand that sets the crop up for the rest of the season.
Learn more about Cruiser® Vibrance® Quattro
With systemic wireworm control, the insecticidal active ingredient moves through seeds, roots, and shoots as they grow. Wireworm larvae feed to ingest the active ingredient, and once ingested, wireworms will stop feeding, allowing the crop to get past its most vulnerable stages.

Contact insecticide seed treatments are effective on the seed surface and do not grow with the plant to protect new roots and shoots. As a result, wireworms must come into contact, either by ingestion or dermally, with the treatment on the seed.
Field establishment of cereals is the percentage of the seeded grain that goes on to produce mature, yield-producing plants. Establishment is the most critical period because it sets the crop's yield potential. Superior stand establishment is the secret to achieving your cereal's yield potential. Every challenge a cereal crop will face during the growing season will impact final yield from the point of stand establishment.

Early plant success sets up a crop to reach its full potential. And since crop yield and resource use efficiency depend on successful plant establishment in the field, it makes sense to invest in the best seed, resources, tools, and disease protection to offer cereals their best start and yield potential.
man with brown hat on walking through wheat field

Syngenta Product Guide

Learn about our innovative lineup of solutions to help you excel in your field this season - as well as agronomic insights to inform your decisions.

Download the 2026 guide

Wireworm Management Guide

Wireworm management guide

Learn how to identify wireworm damage, better understand the factors that influence their behaviour, and develop control strategies to protect your crops.

Download the guide

Wireworms in brown soil

Combine view helps manage wireworms

The vantage point from your combine is a great place to make observations that can guide management decisions.

Read the article

wireworm in brown soil

Wireworm management: Understanding the life cycle

Gain insight into the wireworm lifecycle to implement effective control strategies and minimize yield losses.

Read the article

Helpful resources

2026 version coming soon

Looking for more technical information?

Find the label, SDS, and more information on the Equento® Cereals product page.

Visit the Equento® Cereals product page

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Always read and follow label instructions. Cruiser®, Equento®, PLINAZOLIN®, Rooting Power® Vibrance®, Seedcare®, Vigor Trigger™, and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.