Just in time for this year’s harvest, the new SOLA for Rovral WG for the control of Botrytis in cabbages post-harvest will be welcomed by brassica growers, according to specialist agronomist Andy Richardson, who heads up the Allium and Brassica Centre. He says that cabbages left untreated against this damaging in-store disease can suffer up to 45% crop loss.
Andy explains that Botrytis (grey mould) is problematic in most seasons in stored cabbage crops. "Cabbages may be stored for a long period of time, from harvest in mid-October right through to mid July. Grey mould is a problem which typically increases the longer the cabbage are stored, with long-term fridge and Controlled Atmosphere stores typically worse affected. The disease can be seen as a grey fluffy fungal mass on the outside of the cabbage and can progress to a brown soft rot that penetrates deeply into the head. Left untreated, Botrytis will cause major and costly spoilage of the crop and is disastrous for crops destined for processing. Two key ways of reducing losses to this disease are to minimise the damage to heads during harvest and to use a post-harvest drench of Rovral WG."
Andy explains that Rovral WG, based on the active ingredient iprodione, is applied at a dose of 67 g/100 litres of water as a post-harvest drench to control Botrytis on stored crops of Dutch white cabbage and red cabbage. It may be applied by a hand-held lance attached to a sprayer or via an independent drenching system. Treated cabbages must not be removed from store for at least eight weeks after treatment.
"Grey mould is a really serious in-store disease in cabbages with significant crop losses or spoilage if left untreated. There are no other fungicide treatments approved for control of this disease," Andy Richardson concludes.
Growers need to obtain a copy of the notice of approval to use Rovral WG in cabbages via the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) web site, ADAS offices or NFU. The SOLA reference number is 1845 of 2009.
For further information please contact Andy Richardson, Managing Director of the Allium and Brassica Centre on 07860 558143 (mobile)
