Potato Review

Advertorial Potato growers can make the best of every blight application this season, by getting the right product, in the right place at the right time, writes Syngenta potato specialist, Gus Merrick. Results of Euro ns eld trial research last season highlighted Revus was fully effective in controlling the more aggressive and increasingly dominant EU36_A2 genotype throughout the spray programme, along with a spectrum of inoculated Pink 6_A1; Blue 13_A2 and Green 37_A2 blight isolates. Right Product It is also now recognised that best practice is to use blight fungicides with different modes of action either as a co-formulated product or as a tank mix. Mixing Revus with mancozeb or other partner fungicides would provide a technically sound and cost-effective option for growers and agronomists. The mix also ensures growers can make best use of available CAA fungicide group applications under FRAC guidelines. Importantly, the trials also con rmed that, for the second season, the addition of drift retardant Sterling maximised the level of blight control from Revus in the trial. Syngenta research into the use of drift retardants with Revus has indicated that with the drift retardant more spray was held in the spray canopy, with fewer small droplets off target, which resulted in Revus being able to perform at its best. Right Place Syngenta application trials have shown encouraging results for the potential of 90% drift reduction technology nozzles to minimise spray drift and get blight applications effectively on target. Using new designs of Drift Reduction Technology (DRT) nozzles offers signi cant practical advantages for operators applying blight sprays, especially to minimise the effects of wind gusts and assure even distribution of protection on leaves. Droplets from the DRT nozzles also appear to better penetrate into the crop canopy, to target lower leaves and stems. The bene t of using a drift retardant with Revus had also been seen in eld application trials using 90% DRT nozzles, as well as the standard Syngenta Potato Nozzle. Further application trials with the technology, along with new developments in nozzle design, are planned with Euro ns for the 2020 season. Right Time Recognising the risk posed by more aggressive blight genotypes, Syngenta BlightCast now features the Hutton Criteria as the key factors determining the five-day local forecasts. BlightCast uses a combination of recent weather data and predicted forecasts to give an early warning of disease pressure periods – in time to take action and get appropriate treatments in place. Furthermore, with the development of more sophisticated and affordable weather stations and in-crop leaf sensors, to remotely detect and report the hours of leaf wetness, there is the future opportunity to integrate a grower or agronomist’s own eld data into the blight model, for a truly bespoke system. Better understanding of the specific blight pathogens we are facing, using new technologies to manage the risk of infection and improved way of applying the fungicides we have available will all help ensure we can stay ahead of attacks in the future. Syngenta UK Ltd. Registered in England No. 849037. CPC4, Capital Park, Fulbourn, Cambridge CB21 5XE Tel: 01223 883400 Fax: 01223 882195 Technical Enquiries Tel: 0800 169 6058 Email: customer.services@syngenta.com Website: www.syngenta.co.uk REVUS® is a Registered Trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. REVUS (MAPP 17443) contains mandipropamid. All other brand names used are Trademarks of other manufacturers in which proprietary rights may exist. Use plant protection products safely. Always read the label and product information before use. For further product information including warning phrases and symbols refer to www.syngenta.co.uk ©Syngenta AG April 2020. Better targeting of blight applications Stay ahead of blight risks. Register now for Syngenta BlightCast www.syngenta.co.uk/blightcast Gus Merrick