Price is main incentive in this seasons choice
Price is main incentive in this seasons choice
PRICE seems set to resolve many growers decisions on which strobilurin to use this season.
"At the moment what it is coming down to is price," says ADASs Bill Clark. "The Amistar plus Opus dose response curve looks exactly the same as Landmark, and from what we have seen trifloxystrobin is equally good."
The way Landmark was priced led many growers to use the product last year, but Zeneca will have learned their lesson, he predicts. What remains to be seen is where Novartis will pitch into the fray.
"If it is the same price as the other two, they are under-selling it, for this year at least. You will almost certainly get good mildew control, which would effectively be for free. But that benefit might only last a year," he adds.
Whatever the final prices, growers should allow for the extra spend on strobilurins in fungicide budgets.
"Most growers ought to be spending £60/ha on fungicides. Thats enough for 1.5 units of strobilurin and triazole."
Dalgetys national technical manager Bob Bulmer echoes that.
"Some farms are missing out because they set budgets too tight. Strobilurins have added £20-30/ha over triazole only programmes."