Timing fungicide applications to control white mold

The right timing for fungicide in your potato crop

Growers must be proactive with their disease-control plan every season if they want to prevent white mold from damaging their crops. White mold can remain in the soil over the winter, living in dark-colored resting structures call sclerotia. “When temperature and moisture are right, spores are released from the sclerotia and will infect the plant blossoms. Usually this coincides with row closure and full bloom,” said Tye Shauck, Technical Service Representative at BASF. “Those infected blooms fall into the canopy, where they continue to spread the white mold pathogen.” Therefore, it’s crucial that growers make the first fungicide application at the right time to prevent white mold from becoming a larger issue later.

 

The market standard for control
Shauck recommends growers look to the market standards to protect crops against white mold. Endura® fungicide is a FRAC group 7 and one of those market standards. Endura fungicide works to stop the energy centers of white mold cells from functioning properly; as a result, the cells die. “Once the plants are wilting, most of the damage is already done. Even if you kill the pathogen, you will have lost a significant amount of yield. You can start to see symptoms 10–14 days after infection takes place,” said Shauck. “By applying Endura fungicide preventatively, growers stand a better chance of weathering the season without white mold crippling their crop.”

 

The right fungicide at the right time
Growers should apply Endura fungicide during bloom, which is typically around row closure, to control white mold as well as early blight. They can also choose to tank-mix chemistries that control other pathogens. However, Endura fungicide should be applied in rotation with other chemistries, and no more than two FRAC group 7 chemistries should be applied back to back.

 

The first application is the most important because Endura fungicide works to protect the plant by preventing infections and has some residual activity. By applying early and following up on applications, plants are optimally protected from white mold. “Don’t wait too long for sequential fungicide applications; otherwise you will have a gap in which you will not have residual protection,” said Shauck.

 

After that initial application, subsequent applications should fall every 7–14 days at regular intervals to continue to protect the plant. Crop rotation can also help reduce the threat of white mold. White mold can survive in soil for years, and by rotating crops, growers can further reduce the risk that white mold will become a problem.

 

Always read and follow label directions.
Endura is a registered trademark of BASF.

 

© 2019 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work – for farmers, society and the planet. In 2018, our division generated sales of €6.2 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.

 

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.