The tools you need to beat early blight

Prioritizing the survival of your potato crop

Every growing season, there are a number of factors that can work against the survival of a potato crop, including disease. One particularly detrimental disease is early blight. Research from the University of Idaho showed that crop losses due to early blight can exceed 20 percent if left uncontrolled1 and the use of fungicides can help decrease these crop losses to less than 5 percent.1

 

When such a high risk is associated with uncontrolled early blight, growers should take a proactive approach by planning early and considering fungicides as a part of their disease management plan.

 

“To best prepare for any diseases that may affect their crop, potato growers should develop a fungicide plan prior to the start of the season, so that they are prepared to make timely applications when necessary,” said Curtis Rainbolt, a BASF Technical Service Representative based in Idaho. “We recommend Endura® fungicide as a solution that’s been proven to control early blight.”

 

The right time for fungicides
Despite the name, the disease does not often appear early in the growing season but rather on mature foliage. Because of this, growers need to time applications of fungicides to their crop carefully.

 

While growers should frequently monitor their fields for signs of disease, fungicides should be applied preventatively, at or just before row closure, to avoid disease development. Rainbolt recommends applying fungicides on a tight spray schedule of 5 to 14 days in accordance with the approved label directions for use, and depending on the location and disease pressure.

 

Keeping resistance at bay
While using fungicides to control early blight in a potato crop, growers should be mindful of the products they choose and the management techniques they implement to fight fungicide resistance.

 

“A practice we recommend growers follow to fight resistance is using the most effective fungicides first in their spray programs,” said Rainbolt. “Growers should also use tank-mixes of protectants like chlorothalonil or mancozeb-based fungicides with Endura fungicide.”

 

Endura fungicide has a single mode of action that allows for tank-mixing flexibility to further manage the development of fungicide resistance.

 

The best plan for your crop
The use of fungicides to control early blight should exist within a comprehensive integrated disease management plan. Practices such as rotation with non-host crops for early blight, avoiding irrigation in cool, cloudy weather, and the removal of infected plant debris all help reduce the risk of early blight inflicting a potato crop.

 

“Growers can work with their local BASF representative to determine how fungicides can work within their integrated disease control plan to get ahead of early blight and help preserve their crop’s yield,” said Rainbolt.

 

For more information, contact your local BASF representative or visit GrowSmartPotatoes.com.

 

Always read and follow label directions.
Endura is a registered trademark and Grow Smart is a trademark of BASF. © 2019 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved.
1.      http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/CIS/CIS1196.pdf

 

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
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 20,000 employees in North America and had sales of around $20 billion in 2018. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com. 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 exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.