Three in four to benefit from the latest products

6 February 1998

Three in four to benefit from the latest products

Several very effective

new cereal fungicides

are being dangled before

cereal growers this

season. But can UKfarmers

afford to use them?

Andrew Blake reports

FULL commercial launches for four new fungicides from three new groups of chemistry in one year is unprecedented, according to Steve Wolfe, crop protection director at Banks Agriculture.

"They are very significant products," he told a Peterborough meeting. "But the most important question is: "Can we afford to use them with wheat at £80/t or less?"

Manufacturers representatives extolled Zenecas Amistar (azoxystrobin), Dow AgroSciences Fortress (quinoxyfen), and Novartiss Unix (cyprodinil). Banks Bob Mills outlined the benefits of BASFs yet to be registered BAS 493 (kresoxim-methyl + cyproconazole + fenpropimorph), expected to be sold as Mantra.

Given the results of at least three years of trials and on-farm experience of the new fungicides Mr Mills said three-quarters of all farms should seriously consider using them, even at current cereal prices.

Only on light, drought-prone land is the risk of not achieving an economic return too great. "If you are on sand which usually does only 5t/ha, in a particularly good year you might get a worthwhile response. But you are probably best off planning to use existing chemistry."

With wheat at £70/t and using his best estimate of 1998 spray prices, Mr Mills reckoned growers would on average be £30/ha (£12/acre) better off from applying the new strobilurins (Amistar or Mantra) instead of triazoles in a three-spray programme.

With barley at £65/t those using two sprays could expect to see an extra £32.50/ha (£13/acre). In both cases quality bonuses might be added.

But he warned against reducing application rates. "I would say that wouldnt I? But if you want the most benefit from strobilurins it is important to keep rates up. Yes, you can achieve visual disease control at lower rates, but you could be disappointed on yield."

Unix appears valuable in both wheat and barley, he commented. "If you have got eyespot it is the best product on both wheat and rye strains." A Unix/Amistar mix offers the best control chemistry for net blotch, an increasingly hard disease to contain, he added.

In Fortress wheat growers have a chance to control mildew right from the outset. "Its the very best product for wheat mildew which has always been a problem." Price is likely to be very competitive with morpholines, he said.

Main thrust of the presentations were the impressive results achieved from last years high disease year. Delegates feared that left too rosy a review. But Mr Mills was confident rewards would be consistently good. "I am convinced by our work, which shows that in most situations they will be more than justified."

United in their defence of cereal yields are (left to right) Neil Waddingham (Novartis), Mike Ashworth (Dow), Bob Mills (Banks) and Ian Stott (Zeneca) who all reckon new fungicides can boost margins. But at what cost?

Pricing

All four new products will cost more than current alternatives. But makers remain coy of giving too much away partly, they say, because of parallel import implications. Nearest to being specific is Zenecas Ian Stott. "There will be a lot more parity with the rest of the EU. Amistar last year was £45/litre. It wont be that this year."

FUNGICIDE FEAST

&#8226 Strobs: Amistar & Mantra.

&#8226 Mildewicide: Fortress.

&#8226 Eyespot mixer: Unix.

&#8226 Yield response will outweigh additional fungicide costs for at least 3/4 of growers.