A NEW FUNGICIDE seed treatment for oilseed rape said to offer improved control of phoma should be available this autumn.

Agrichem says its HY-PRO Duet (150g/litre prochloraz + 333g/litre thiram) is also active against alternaria and damping off, and is an ideal partner for Chinook (beta-cyfluthrin + imidacloprid) used to control early season pests.

After a wet harvest up to 60% of seed samples can be infected with phoma, said the firm’s John Pooley.

“This, combined with the fact that 15 out of 26 varieties in official trials last year had phoma resistance scores of five or less for stem canker, highlights the clear need for such a better acting product to protect the seed.”

Although foliar sprays can control the disease, significant damage may be done before they can be applied. In warm conditions it can take only 12 days for seedling infection to reach the stem, at which point control becomes much more difficult, he pointed out.

In over 20 Agrichem tests, HY-PRO Duet reduced phoma by 98.5% in seed with initial infections ranging from 7.75% to 99%.

In Bayer CropScience trials, its combination with Chinook gave a 26% improvement in plant stand. Of this, some 15% was due to the new product’s disease controlling properties, Mr Pooley estimated.

HY-PRO Duet will be available “competitively priced against existing chemistry” through most leading seed suppliers this autumn.