Tote - a safe bet for cereal disease control‏
Interfarm UK Ltd., an affiliate of Sumitomo Chemical Company, is pleased to announce that Tote is now approved for use as a fungicide on wheat and barley in the UK and Ireland. Tote is a brand new, advanced formulation of bromuconazole designed to control a range of foliar, stem and ear diseases. The product can be used at any stage from tillering up to ear emergence complete, with a total dose of 1.25 litres/hectare.
"Tote is a systemic, curative and protectant triazole fungicide from the Sumitomo Chemical stable, offering excellent control of a wide range of diseases in winter wheat, winter barley, spring barley and spring wheat. The new improved formulation allows the bromuconazole to enter the plant rapidly, but the compound then moves slowly systemically within the plant. This feature results in the fungicide having good activity against eyespot when applied early and against ear diseases such as Fusarium when applied late," explains Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager, Interfarm (UK) Ltd.
Whilst it can be used at any stage throughout the fungicide programme, Tote is highly suitable for use at T0 timing, giving protection against eyespot and early foliar diseases such as Septoria and rusts in wheat or Rhynchosporium and mildew in barley. In practical terms this means that it will protect the crop in its early spring development phase and allow more flexibility as to when subsequent T1 treatments should be applied, says David.
"Tote also fits at T3 timing for protection from ear diseases, especially those likely to cause the production of mycotoxins including Fusarium and Microdochium which can seriously affect the marketability of grain. With increasing concerns about mycotoxins in grain, there is a need to rethink T3 treatments and Tote will play a key role here," explains David.
The new formulation of Tote gives growers the opportunity to use a product tailor-made for specific timings so that maximum cost-effectiveness of treatments at T0 and T3 can be achieved, rather than using other triazole products more suited to other positions in a programme. For further benefit, a tank mix of Tote with 1.5L/ha Quell Flo, which contains inexpensive multi-site mancozeb in a flowable formulation, at either T0 or T3 delivers broad spectrum disease protection together with an effective anti-resistance strategy.
Tote contains 200 g/litre bromuconazole as an advanced new suspension concentrate formulation. It is approved for use in all varieties of winter wheat, winter barley, spring barley and spring wheat and is recommended at a range of flexible dose rates, up to a maximum rate of 1.25 litres /ha. It can be applied up to Growth Stage 73. It is subject to LERAP B and packed in a 5 litre pack. It will be available via Interfarm distributors.
For further comment and information, please contact Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager, Interfarm UK Ltd. on 01354 741414 or 07818 036506 (mobile) or via e-mail david.stormonth@interfarm.co.uk
