'Scala strong against resistance and leaf spots'

The fungicide Ladder is very effective in controlling leaf spots in onions. "At least as good as the market reference," says BASF Technical Product Advisor Kick van Saarloos. "The effect on stemphylium is also excellent and Scala is gentle on the crop." With its active substance, Scala is also a useful weapon in the fight against resistance.

There are quite a few products available for mold control in onions. However, they are all in drug groups that are susceptible to resistance. From the point of view of resistance management, the number of sprayings with these agents is limited. They must also be alternated with other means. Technical product advisor Kick van Saarloos closely follows developments in the field of crop protection in onion cultivation. "Substances such as mancozeb and chlorothalonil used to act as resistance busters, but they are no longer allowed. The active substance of Ladder, pyrimethanil, comes from a different group, which makes it very suitable as an alternate partner in various schemes. That is very valuable for onion cultivation."

Nice results
Ladder was granted permission in onions in 2018. It has since been widely used in the fungicide schedule. "We already know Scala from admission in other crops. Especially in fruit it is a large product with excellent experiences," says Van Saarloos. Growers also benefit from the effectiveness of the product for leaf spot control in onions. "I saw very good results in the trials. It looked really good. Scala easily measures up to the market reference. Experiences of recent years in sowing, planting and silverskin onions are certainly good. And although the control of downy mildew In onions, onion growers should not underestimate the importance of effective leaf spot control, according to Van Saarloos: "If you don't control leaf spots, they can completely destroy a crop of onions in a few weeks."

Early in the season
Scala is ideally suited for application early in the season because it is gentle on the onion plant and does not cause growth retardation. The onion is particularly sensitive to this during the bulb formation period. "And during that period, the leaf spots also often rear their heads," says Van Saarloos. Scala is also effective against stemphylium and has a side effect against head rot. If you want to use Scala later in the season as an alternate partner for fungicides from other groups, the product is also a good choice. "The safety period of Scala is two weeks, so there is no limitation there. And Scala's slightly curative effect can come into its own later in the season," says Van Saarloos. He is convinced that BASF with Ladder holds an important trump card for onion cultivation.