Did you know that around 10% of the total estimated corn and soybean bushels are lost yearly to various diseases? According to the Crop Protection Network, 10% has been the average yearly loss since the group of extension specialists across the country started summarizing their data at the end of each year. With that being said, the fungicide market has exploded over the last 10 to 15 years as the industry and farmers alike try to maximize bushels on the farm and fight off disease. One of the best parts of my job is getting to have a hand in our Practical Farm Research (PFR)®, which is a tool to help farmers make decisions on products and practices each year. As new products come onto the market, we have an opportunity with PFR to put them to the test against products that have already proven to be profitable.
Adepidyn™
Last year, we tested the new active ingredient from Syngenta trademarked Adepidyn™. It is a powerful new SDHI with labels for corn, soybeans, and wheat, and we tested it in all three crops. The new active ingredient is supposed to offer high efficacy against some of the difficult to control disease, broader spectrum preventative and curative control, and better coverage that stays put. As we continue to develop resistance to diseases every year, it’s even more important to switch site of action. Frogeye leaf spot is a major threat to soybeans, and has developed resistance to FRAC Group 11 fungicides. New products combine Adepidyn with well known, trusted active ingredients to provide products with multiple sites of action.
Miravis®
In our 2019 results, Miravis® products showed promise in all three major crops. Miravis Ace, the labeled product for wheat, extends the application window beyond the 10.5.1 (flowering growth stage), increasing the likelihood of a successful application. After the two cold weather events we have experiences around our marketing area this year, wheat heads have not been flowering uniformly. Miravis Ace is labeled to apply starting at 50% head emergence and provides great control of head scab and septoria leaf spot.
Revysol®
Another new active ingredient for 2020 that many in the industry are excited about is Revysol®. It’s a new DMI fungicide from BASF that has a unique isopropanol link that physically flexes to control a broader spectrum of diseases and strains resistant to other DMI fungicides. The problem with a lot of fungicide sites of action is that they bind very specifically, like a lock and key. With the new flexible link, we are hoping to see faster uptake in the plant, quicker absorption, which can help with rainfastness and longer residual. Revysol also provides some curative activity, which can help stop the disease from progressing and save yield. This active ingredient will be marketed with the names Revytek™ for soybeans and Veltyma™ for corn.
Xyway™ 3D
One last new fungicide I can’t leave out is Xyway™ 3D from FMC. The active ingredient is also in the DMI class of fungicides; however, there is one major difference. This unique fungicide is applied in-furrow at planting and claims to provide season-long disease protection against some of the most problematic diseases. FMC has shown that the active ingredient, flutriafol, is taken up early-season and translocated upward for the duration of the growing season, which could eliminate the tassel application later in the corn season. For anyone wanting to do their own fungicide applications, but lacking a high clearance sprayer, this could be an answer.
As a seed company, we don’t sell any of these products, but we hope that through PFR, we can be a valuable tool to help you make fungicide decisions on your farm. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal in mind – we want to help farmers succeed.
~ Camille Lambert, M.S. – Field Agronomist