Switch to Electis now!

UK - July 02, 2004

As early planted crops reach the full canopy stage and disease pressure mounts, Dow AgroSciences are warning potato growers to switch now to a strong foliar protectant product which also offers protection against zoospore production and, consequently, tuber blight, such as Electis*.

“During the crucial mid-season period, blight sprays need to provide protection for all leaf surfaces, be highly rainfast, offer good tuber blight protection and have a strong anti-resistance strategy. This year, with tin no longer available, growers need to adopt an effective protective program to prevent foliar blight and also to prevent zoospore production. Based on a novel active ingredient, zoxium, combined with mancozeb, Electis is the best protectant fungicide, out-performing fluazinam and cymoxanil plus mancozeb in trials across the UK and Europe. It is held tightly in the cuticle wax layer, giving it superior rainfastness compared to most other products on the market. Electis fits well into the mid-season and late season spray window and growers should be integrating this product into their programs from now on,” comments Paul Savage of Dow AgroSciences.

“The choice of blight fungicide at this point in the program can make a critical difference to the successful prevention of tuber blight. This is because not all products have good activity on zoospores, the motile spores that cause tuber infection, and only a few products actually prevent zoospore production in the first place.” adds Paul.

“Zoxium in Electis works by inhibiting nuclear division and so any stage in the blight life cycle which involves cell division is severely disrupted, including the stage when the sporangia produce zoospores. Zoxium has been shown to adversely affect zoospore release, resulting in the production of non-motile spores, incapable of infecting tubers. Other fungicides such as cyazofamid and fluazinam will kill zoospores once released and so the alternation of Electis with such complementary products in a program will provide a “belt and braces” approach and give excellent protection against tuber blight. There is a good complementary activity from using these products alternating in a program.” advises Paul.

When used repeatedly in a suitable program, Electis protects against tuber blight. To prevent tuber blight, growers should start protecting the foliage at an early stage, maintain a regular foliar blight fungicide program and maintain this protection at and beyond desiccation.

“Another important consideration of a blight spray at any point in the program is resistance management. Zoxium has a different mode of action, disrupting microtubules, inhibiting nuclear division and stopping the spore germ tube from penetrating the leaf. In this way Electis offers a unique mode of action, distinct from all existing and new potato blight products. Mancozeb is recognised as a highly effective protectant fungicide with multi-site activity: it acts by preventing spore germination. Both actives in Electis complement each other in terms of modes of action.

“Electis is the right product to use now as it is multi-sited, has no known resistance and it will control phenylamide resistant strains.” adds Paul.