[deck]New products from Syngenta Canada and BASF Canada to benefit growers in 2016.[/deck]
Syngenta Fungicide
Syngenta Canada Inc. has launched Orondis Ultra, a new fungicide for the control of oomycete diseases caused by downy mildews and Phytophthora species in potatoes and other vegetables. Late blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, is the single most damaging potato disease.
Applied preventatively in potatoes, Orondis Ultra delivers an unprecedented 21 days of residual late blight control, says Eric Phillips, product lead, fungicides and insecticides, with Syngenta Canada.
Orondis Ultra is a combination of the newly registered active ingredient, oxathiapiprolin, which belongs to the piperidinyl-thiazole-isoxazolines (Group U15) class of fungicides, and mandipropamid (Group 40), a leading active ingredient in the marketplace.
In field trials, oxathiapiprolin has demonstrated excellent preventative and residual control at use rates significantly lower than other currently available fungicides, according to Syngenta. Other benefits of oxathiapiprolin include excellent rainfastness and no known cross-resistance to other fungicides.
“We have tested oxathiapiprolin against all known races of late blight, and it controls them all, so there’s no known cross-resistance with any existing chemistry,” says Brady Code, the eastern technical lead for Syngenta Canada.
Orondis Ultra delivers translaminar and acropetal activity, moving across the leaf surface, as well as upwards into new growth via the plant’s water-conducting vessels. Both modes of action work in tandem to protect the growing canopy, protecting plants during periods of active growth.
Phillips says the strong late blight control provided by Orondis Ultra allows growers to increase fungicide spray intervals and potentially reduce the overall number of fungicide applications targeting late blight.
“Throughout the growing season, weather conditions can bring about high levels of moisture and temperatures that allow late blight to thrive and develop,” says Phillips. “The residual control that Orondis Ultra provides allows growers to proactively manage late blight.”
Code says the 21 days of late blight protection provided by Orondis Ultra not only provides producers with greater peace of mind, it also enables them to direct more attention to the multitude of tasks that compete for a farmer’s precious time.
“For 21 days, other than scheduling another late blight spray, you don’t have to think about late blight,” he says.
Code stresses it’s important to use the new fungicide in combination with other products with different modes of action for resistance management purposes. “We’re telling growers right out of the gate, for every Orondis Ultra application, you should use two other late blight fungicides, either before or after,” he says.
For more information about Orondis Ultra, visit Syngenta.ca. Growers can also contact their local Syngenta representative or call the Syngenta Customer Interaction Centre at 1‑877‑964‑3682.
BASF Fungicides
Potato growers will have the benefit of two new fungicides from BASF Canada Inc. this season.
In November 2015, BASF’s Sercadis fungicide was registered for control of many key diseases in potatoes and a wide array of horticultural crops.
For the potato market in 2016, BASF is promoting Sercardis for control of early blight and white mould (foliar application) as well as rhizoctonia canker (in-furrow application).
“We believe Canadian horticulture growers will quickly come to appreciate Sercadis not only for its highly systemic activity and excellent disease control, but also for its flexibility in building a customized program for their farm,” says Scott Hodgins, brand manager for horticultural products with BASF Canada.
Sercadis is a next generation Group 7 fungicide for fruit and vegetable growers. The active ingredient in Sercadis is fluxapyroxad, with the global active ingredient trade name Xemium.
The excellent disease control of Sercadis is enhanced with its highly systemic nature, allowing it to protect the crop as it grows, according to the company. It adds that in extensive Canadian and international research and field-scale evaluations, Sercadis has demonstrated excellent tank-mix flexibility.
In January 2016, another BASF fungicide called Forum was registered for control of late blight in potatoes and downy mildew in a number of other horticultural crops.
The highly systemic, anti-sporulant activity of liquid Forum stops the spread of late blight and downy mildew while also preventing new infections, according to the company. When used in potatoes prior to harvest, Forum will also reduce storage rots.
“BASF is really pleased to be bringing Forum to Canadian growers. We believe that its ability to stop the spread of late blight or downy mildew will make it an invaluable tool for our customers,” says Hodgins.
The active ingredient in Forum is dimethomorph, a Group 40 fungicide. According to BASF, Forum should always be tank mixed with another fungicide, such as a protectant registered for control of late blight or downy mildew.
For more information on Sercadis and Forum, visit AgSolutions.ca.
