Delivering cost-effective yield gains in sugar beet
The strobilurin/triazole fungicide Opera delivered excellent yield gains and sugar yields in last years British Sugar trials and its use resulted in one of the highest margin over input costs, making it a very cost-effective choice of fungicide to use this summer, according to BASF.
"Declining sugar beet prices are forcing growers to be more focused on optimizing their inputs and maximising yields in order to maintain profitability. With the likelihood of many crops having to stay in the ground for longer, it is also vital that sugar beet is protected from disease and is allowed to keep its Green Leaf Area for as long as possible. Whatever can be done to maintain Green Leaf Area will bring benefits of yield and returns," says John Young, BASF Sugar Beet Product Manager.
"In last year's British Sugar trials, Opera delivered the one of the highest yield gains, with root yields of 70 tonnes/ha, compared to 63 tonnes/ha in the untreated. This translated into an excellent Margin Over Input Cost (MOIC) of £114/hectare, three times more than the MOIC achieved by flusilazole plus carbendazim and over six times more than quinoxyfen applied alone. Even when Opera looks to be more expensive than other treatments, its yield boost pays back many more times," says John.
"It also gave consistently higher sugar yields. In the four British Sugar trials, 1 l/ha of Opera resulted in 13% more sugar yield than the untreated, and once again this outperformed its competitors," reports John.
According to BASF, Opera is maximising beet root and sugar yields through the combination of its strong physiological effects together with its effective and persistent control of all major diseases of beet; powdery mildew, rusts, Ramularia and Cercospora.
"Opera is still the only strobilurin-containing fungicide recommended in sugar beet and it combines the most advanced strobilurin, pyraclostrobin, with the most effective triazole, epoxiconazole. It has been shown to increase crop greening effects, to improve photosynthetic efficiency and to extend the active life of the canopy. It also improves root quality by increasing root sugar concentration and reducing root amino nitrogen content."
Opera's reliable physiological effects combined with its high activity against all major sugar beet diseases makes it one of the most cost-effective choice for high performing sugar beet and attainment of higher yields.
Opera contains 133 g/litre pyraclostrobin and 50 g/litre epoxiconazole, formulated as a suspo emulsion. In sugar beet it controls powdery mildew, rust, Ramularia and Cercospora. Opera is applied from mid-July to mid-August at the start of foliar disease attack. It is recommended at a dose rate of 0.75–1.0 litre/ha. Water volumes should be adjusted to achieve complete leaf coverage, with a minimum of 200 litres of water/ha recommended. A maximum of two applications can be made, allowing a harvest interval of six weeks.
