Mycotoxins: Swing over to Jazz for T3 treatments

With the potential threat of ear diseases and mycotoxins, growers should be making plans to apply a suitable T3 fungicide. Jazz is one of the few triazole fungicides with significant activity against a range of late season diseases including Fusarium species. Recent European studies have demonstrated its superior control of a wide range of Fusarium species, including F. graminearum and F. culmorum, the main mycotoxin-producing species in the UK and Ireland, claims Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager of Interfarm UK Ltd.

"Ear diseases can have a significant effect on grain quality and yield. At T3 effective control of ear and late foliar diseases is critical for maximising yield and maintaining quality. One aspect of quality is the level of mycotoxins, which are toxic substances produced by certain species of fungi such as some Fusarium species. Not only are there legal limits, but it is now Good Agricultural Practice for growers to carry out a risk assessment of their crops and to exercise appropriate actions as necessary," explains David.

According to David, one of these actions is to use a suitable T3 fungicide as appropriate.

Jazz is a new, advanced formulation of the fungicide bromuconazole designed to control a range of stem and ear diseases in cereals, particularly those that produce mycotoxins, as well as helping the task of controlling some late foliar diseases. The product can be used at any stage from tillering up to the key T3 timing where it has a major role.

"From Sumitomo Chemicals, the new finely milled formulation has been improved so that the triazole active ingredient enters the plant rapidly, making the product more rainfast and more resistant to weathering than other "standard" triazoles in common use. Once in the plant however, the fungicide has the major property of relatively slow systemic movement. This means that it stays where you sprayed it, offering good persistence and good crop safety, with no problem of tipping. The advantage of this is that it stays around the ear when protection from Fusarium and other diseases is required mid-flower onwards," explains David.

David explains that for optimum control, applications should be targeted at the mid-flowering period, the primary time for Fusarium infection. "However, the protectant and curative activity exhibited by Jazz allows timing flexibility with effective Fusarium control being achieved from 7 days before to 3 days after a major infection period, which tends to be around mid-flowering. This flexibility also allows tank mixing of Jazz with other relevant products such as a strobilurin and/or a multi-site fungicide, such as Quell Flo, according to other disease risks or wheat quality rating. Besides the control of ear blight and sooty moulds, Jazz is also ideal for topping-up foliar control of Septoria and rusts helping to ensure maximum grain fill and profitable yields."

Jazz contains 200 g/litre bromuconazole as a new advanced suspension concentrate formulation. It is approved for use in all varieties of winter wheat, winter barley, spring barley and spring wheat and is recommended at a range of flexible dose rates, up to a maximum rate of 1.25 litres/ha. It can be applied up to Growth Stage 69 in wheat and GS 73 in barley. It is subject to LERAP B and packed in a 5 litre pack. It is available via Interfarm distributors.