Fazor to maintain quality in root crops

UK - September 21, 2005

Root growers are reminded that Fazor (maleic hydrazide) has a SOLA for use in carrots and parsnips to suppress re-growth and to help maintain quality.  Its use can prolong the local supply of over-wintered carrots and parsnips for the supermarkets, reducing reliance on imports.

Applied to the growing crop in the autumn, normally early to mid October, Fazor works by inhibiting respiration and suppressing cell division in the crop and this stops the development of the whole top growth and of external lateral root hairs in the following spring.  As root hairs grow, the plant would normally metabolise sugars and consequently quality is affected.  Fazor stops this process and so helps to maintain the taste, tenderness and processing quality of the over-wintered root crop.  It can be used in conjunction with black polythene for in-field storage.

In parsnips, Fazor stops woody core and glazing in late-lifted crops and optimises market value.  Prolonging the time that carrots and parsnips can be left in the ground, and so the extending the lifting period, means that the load in the pack houses is spread and the season extended.  It also means that the supermarkets can more easily source home grown UK root vegetables. 

To get the best from Fazor, it should be applied using conventional sprayer when the crop foliage is mature, but not actively growing, and when 25 to 50% of the foliage is starting to go yellow or senesce.  Growers need to obtain a copy of the notice of approval to use Fazor in carrots and parsnips via the PSD web site, ADAS offices, the HDC or NFU.  The SOLA reference number for Fazor on outdoor carrots and parsnips is 2159/2001.

Fazor contains 60% w/w maleic hydrazide, formulated as a water-soluble granule.  It is recommended on second earlies and maincrop potatoes as well as bulb onions, garlic and shallots.  It has SOLAs in parsnips and carrots.  In carrots, Fazor is recommended at a dose rate of 15 kg/ha in 350-500 litres of water per hectare at 25% leaf senescence (normally early to mid October) in order to suppress re-growth in over-wintered crops.  In parsnips the dose rate is 10 kg/ha.  It has a maximum number of treatments of 1 per crop and a harvest interval of 3 weeks before harvest, if not over-wintered.  Fazor is rainfast within 24 hours.  It is packed in a 2.5 kg bag.