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'More septoria than in recent years'
"It is the weather conditions that determine which cereal molds prevail in the spring," says Bert Westhoff, technical product advisor at BASF. "And this year the conditions for septoria are a lot more favorable than we have been used to in recent years."
According to Bert Westhoff of BASF, the fact that the grain crops survived the winter well is no guarantee for a carefree spring. "We have had a lot of precipitation in recent weeks and that is favorable for the septoria fungus. There have been many chances of infection. You must not forget that septoria is always dormant at the bottom of the crop. But it can take up to 3 or 4 weeks at low temperatures. before you can see the fungus with the naked eye."
According to Westhoff, the early sown winter wheat is already sufficiently developed for T1 spraying. "Around crop stage 32 you can effectively tackle the grain fungi. The third leaf from the top has just come out and you can feel the second knot. With a successful T1 spraying you prevent the septoria from jumping up. You can also prevent yellow rust. then you can control it well, so you lay the foundation for a healthy foliar apparatus and with that a good yield."
New active ingredient
According to Westhoff, there is little room for discussion when it comes to the choice of agent for T1 spraying. "This year you need a product with a good septoria effect. In recent years we were especially alert to yellow rust, but this year the conditions are significantly different. The new fungicide balaya gets a wonderful opportunity to show its strong effect on septoria. We have seen this in the trials for years and now it is the turn of practice."
In addition to the distinctive effect on septoria, Balaya also does well on many other cereal fungi such as yellow rust. This broad effect is due to a new active ingredient. Westhoff: "Balaya contains Revysol, which is a new triazole. What is special about Balaya is that it also fights septoria strains that have become less sensitive to the older triazoles in recent years." Characteristic of Revysol is the special flexible structure of the molecule. As a result, it adheres better to the target fungus than other triazoles. In addition to Revysol, Balaya also contains pyraclostrobin; this active ingredient not only improves the effectiveness on the fungi, but also has a proven plant-strengthening and yield-increasing effect.
Long-lasting effect
In addition to the broad fungal effect, balaya some other features that give the fungicide an agricultural advantage, according to Westhoff. "The Revysol in Balaya already works at temperatures from 8 °C; older triazoles only work from about 12 degrees. In a cold spring, that is a real advantage." The formulation of Balaya ensures that the agent has a long-lasting effect. The Revysol is gradually released from small deposits in the wax layer over weeks. The formulation also ensures that both actives are absorbed quickly and are rainproof in no time. In addition to the well-known fungi in wheat, Balaya is also very effective on ramularia and net spot disease in barley. "And that is also topical", concludes Westhoff, "because the first winter barley is now being sprayed."
