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Growers advised to try out new chemistry for Potato blight control
Date added: 02/06/09 |
A new name in potato blight control based on new chemistry and a new mode of action is showing considerable potential across the country, says Mike Forshaw of the ProCam Group Ltd.
Last year a small test group of potato growers used Shinkon in their blight control programmes with outstanding results and growers should consider integrating this strong protectant fungicide into their plans for this year, he says.
Discovered by Nissan, Shinkon is based on a unique active ingredient amisulbrom and has been shown to deliver excellent foliar, stem and tuber blight control.
“In SAC trials in 2008, Shinkon gave a very effective reduction of foliar blight, comparing favourably with products in the same chemical group and also with products from other chemical groups such as Curzate (cymoxanil and mancozeb) and Valbon (benthiavalicarb and mancozeb),” he explains.
“More significantly Shinkon resulted in just 0.3% tuber blight compared with 0.8% from the next best product and 11.2% in the untreated. Shinkon has also been shown to have exceptional activity on zoospores, hence its excellent tuber blight activity,” he reports.
Shinkon is best placed in a programme where you can optimise its zoospore activity and this means at the rosette, senescence or canopy complete stages. It is hoped that, following two years trials work, that Shinkon can be recommended to be used with desiccants this season,” Mike Forshaw says.
Normally Shinkon is used alone, but being a protectant with no kick-back activity, it may benefit from being mixed with cymoxanil, in particularly high blight pressure situations or when intervals are stretched.
The product can be sprayed at 7 to 10 day intervals, with up to six applications per crop. As a resistance management measure, it should be used alternately with products with different modes of action, but should not make up any more than 50% of the total blight control programme, he advises.
“Shinkon also has the practical benefits of being a liquid, with a low dose rate of just 0.5 l/ha (100 gms a.i/ha) and packed in a single 5 litre pack product, making handling, washout and application easier and quicker for busy farmers and contractors.
“It has a harvest interval of 7 days and can be used on all varieties of early, maincrop and seed potatoes,” he adds.
Shinkon is available from all ProCam companies and from UAP and CSC.
Ends
PRM216
2nd June 2009
For further information please contact Mike Forshaw, ProCam Ltd., Royston, Herts. Telephone: 01763 261592
Issued by Philip Hainey, Proterra Ltd., Stamford, Lincs. Telephone: 01780 756299
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