Growers will be able to use the much-hyped next generation carboxamide (SDHI) fungicide chemistry in wheat as well as barley next spring.

Full approval has now been given by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate to Bayer CropScience’s Xpro range, the firm has confirmed.

The lead product in Bayer’s range for wheat will be Aviator235Xpro, containing 75g/litre bixafen and 160g/litre prothioconazole.

The firm will also launch SiltraXpro containing 60g/litre bixafen and 200g/litre prothioconazole for the barley market, which will provide competition for Syngenta’s Bontima (isopyrazam + cyprodinil) which was available last spring.

AviatorXpro will be primarily targeted for the flag leaf spray in wheat, and in independent trials has increased yields by 0.4t/ha when used at 1 litre/ha – 80% of the full label dose – compared with the epoxiconazole + pyraclostrobin flag leaf standard.

Similarly SiltraXpro has generated an extra 0.25t/ha in barley from a 0.6 litres/ha dose over Fandango (prothioconazole + fluoxastrobin), says the firm’s Alison Daniels.

“While Fandango will remain a popular choice for farmers, SiltraXpro will help drive yields higher. Where the crop potential is high, SiltraXpro is a further step-up in performance.”

Both products use Bayer’s Leafshield formulation, which the firm claims helps both active ingredients to attack difficult-to-control diseases, such as Septoria tritici, rhynchosporium and net blotch on and inside the leaf by making sure the active ingredients move at similar speeds within the plant.

That means any disease is always under attack from both active ingredients and helps provide an in-can resistance management strategy, Dr Daniels says.

The formulation also contains three adjuvants, which helps the fungicide stick to the leaf and fungus, and spread quickly over the leaf surface. The upshot is a product that is rainfast within an hour and can be used with fast-moving sprayers and most applicable nozzles or flow rates.

Xpro fungicides

• Two formulations approved
• Aviator235Xpro for wheat
• Targeted at flag leaf sprays
• SiltraXpro for barley
• Both contain bixafen + prothioconazole