BASF are continuing to invest in the pea and bean crop with four new fungicide approvals announced last year and one new herbicide scheduled for approval next year.
"Over the last few years the pulse market has seen little product innovation and last year we were able to expand the 'pulse toolbox' by offering four new products, with two for vining peas. At BASF we are continuing to support the agricultural industry by investing in new uses and approvals for these smaller but important cropping sectors. But it won't stop there, the pipeline for peas and beans has a number of other approvals in the offing, including a completely new herbicide which should be available in 2007," says John Young, BASF Peas and Beans Product Manager.
John reminds pulse growers of the recommendations for disease control introduced last year. "Already key fungicides in oilseed rape, Caramba (60 g/l metconazole) and Sunorg Pro (90 g/l metconazole) offer broad-spectrum disease control of Mycosphaerella pinodes, Ascochyta pisi, Botrytis and rust in combining peas, vining peas and, as a minor use recommendation, in lupins. They are also recommended for rust control in field beans. They are recommended at dose rates of 1.2 l/ha for Caramba and 0.8 l/ha for Sunorg Pro, with a harvest interval of 14 days.
"Trials work at PGRO showed that metconazole gave excellent control of rust in beans," points out Mr. Young.
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"Signum (pyraclostrobin and boscalid) is already approved for use in strawberries, brassicas, carrots and lettuce. Now also approved in winter and spring field beans, Signum offers broad spectrum activity of the key field bean diseases: Botrytis fabae, Botrytis cinerea (chocolate spot) and Uromyces fabae (rust). In field beans, Signum is a real breakthrough in the protection against chocolate spot, a disease that can be very yield damaging and difficult to control. It combines two actives with different modes of action from two different fungicide groups and gives greater persistence in the control of chocolate spot."
Walabi was introduced in 2005 as a value-for-money protectant fungicide containing pyrimethanil and chlorothalonil. Walabi is approved for use in combining peas for the control of Botrytis cinerea, Mycosphaerella pinodes and Ascochyta pisi. Additionally this year, Walabi's approval has been extended to include use on field beans for the protectant control of chocolate spot and early control of rust.
"Walabi has a proven track record as the standard fungicide used in France in combining peas. In trials it has given over 90% control of Mycosphaerella and close to 90% for Ascochyta. In PGRO trials Walabi has also given control of Botrytis equivalent to commercial standards," reports John. Walabi is applied at a dose rate of 2.0 l/ha and has a harvest interval of 6 weeks.
"In addition to these new products and recommendations, we are hoping to be in a position to introduce a new pre-emergence herbicide for the pulse market next year. The pre-emergence herbicide market in peas and beans has and will see further losses of active ingredients such as cyanazine, terbutryn and fomesafen in the future. This new broad spectrum herbicide from BASF, which combines two pre-emergence actives including one novel active, will fill the gap left by these essential use losses and confirms our continued commitment to these crops," concludes John.
