Bayer CropScience’s new penflufen-based seed treatment will be available for the 2012 planting season, following approval for its use in the UK.

Emesto Prime offers good activity against black scurf (Rhizoctonia solani), confirmed Bayer’s Bill Lankford, who added that it also has broader-spectrum disease control properties, including silver scurf and gangrene.

“It’s a real step forwards and one that potato growers have been waiting for,” he said. “It has given very high levels of disease control in trials, as well as being very consistent. Yield and quality benefits are the result.”

However, the current approval is for the liquid formulation. “We anticipate that a powder formulation will be registered later this year. That’s important, as 95% of the UK market is for a powder.”

The active ingredient, penflufen, belongs to the new generation of SDHI chemistry and is claimed to offer seed invigoration and root growth promoting effects.

“It is used at low application rates and has excellent crop safety. As with other SDHIs, it has additional performance over existing seed treatment products, which are seen in factors such as improved storability, size and shape, as well as skin setting.”

Emesto Prime is the first arrival in the Emesto product family, added Dr Lankford. “There will be more products coming to market based on penflufen, which offer solutions to potato growers.”

Not only can penflufen be mixed with other fungicides, it can also be used in sequences with other products, he explained.

Eventually, Emesto is expected to be approved worldwide, in over 30 potato producing countries. Prices weren’t available at the East of England Potato Day.