Mildew fungicide flexity offers bonus of useful reduction of eyespot

This season, cereal growers in the UK are to be the first in the world to benefit from a new, powdery Mildew fungicide with a unique mode of action that sets a new high standard for the control of this damaging disease.

Containing the new active ingredient metrafenone, FLEXITY from BASF also offers cereal growers the important extra benefit of a useful reduction of Eyespot. BASF trials show control to be equivalent to that achieved by the current industry standard.

FLEXITY achieves a new high standard of Mildew control by exhibiting protectant, curative and anti-sporulant activity on all the critical stages of the Mildew life cycle. Containing only 300 g/l of highly active metrafenone, Flexity inhibits the following:

growth of mycelium on the leaf surface

development of appresoria

penetration of leaf

formation of haustoria


sporulation

This comprehensive multi-stage activity provides growers with more flexibility when it comes to timing the application of the Mildew spray. Flexity also has the key feature of long residual activity – thus extending protection to the crop during the season.

"The launch of Flexity, with its new active ingredient and no cross-resistance with existing chemistry, will significantly strengthen Mildew control programmes this season," Tony Grayburn BASF Fungicide Products Manager said at the product's press launch today (Thursday 22nd January).

He emphasised that mildew has a more rapid reproductive cycle than other cereal diseases. "That is why, given the right conditions, low levels of Mildew in a crop can explode into an epidemic in a matter of days. And as Mildew infects the crop from an early growth stage it can seriously damage the key components of yield and quality, which are already being laid down at this time of the season," he said.

The bonus of useful reduction of both W and R types of Eyespot, in addition to excellent control of Mildew, will be welcomed by cereal growers, Mr Grayburn predicted. "The natural resistance of many winter wheat varieties to this disease is still low - and wet, mild conditions this season will be conducive to its spread, " he said.

He advised cereal growers to use Flexity at the T1 spray timing in combination with the strobilurin/azole fungicide Landmark to gain the benefit of a complete spectrum of disease control plus physiological yield benefits.

And he reiterated BASF's support for the use of resistance management programmes, using active ingredients with different modes of action to maintain an effective level of Mildew control in cereal crops. "That is why we are recommending Flexity in mixture with fenpropimorph, and not in sequential applications, and not more than two applications per crop."


Flexity dose rates:

Mildew: 0.25 – 0.5 l/ha (use higher rates where more persistence is required).

Mildew and Eyespot: 0.5 l/ha.

Crops: Winter and Spring Wheat, Winter and Spring Barley.