A new low water volume recommendation for a recently launched fungicide will reduce the number of sprayer fill-ups needed this spring, growers are told.

Following work by Syngenta’s application team, the company now backs Cherokee (cyproconazole, propiconazole and chlorothalonil) use in water volumes of 100 litres per hectare – down from the original 200 litres/ha.

This means less time is spent filling the sprayer and growers will be able to make better use of available spray windows during catchy April and May weather, said the firm’s Matt Pickard.

“The reduction in sprayer fill-ups with 100 litres/ha spray volume could be a big benefit when it comes to protecting all a farm’s wheat area especially as growers are now more stretched as they try to operate with fewer staff but more land.”

Based on a typical 24 metre, 2,500 litre farm sprayer operating at 12 km per hour, he calculates that an extra 23ha per day could be treated by applying Cherokee in 100 litres/ha, compared with 200 litres/ha, when using 10 litre cans.

“Put another way, at a contractor spraying cost of £10 per hectare, that extra 23 hectares could equate to a saving of £230 per day.

Syngenta is also supporting the use of Cherokee through Amistar nozzles nozzles this year, Mr Pickard noted.