A new approval for flutriafol in sugar beet, which came into effect in January 2021, will provide greater control options for growers in the fight against Ramularia and Cercospora, following the imminent loss of key fungicide actives in the beet industry.
This new crop approval for flutriafol will provide relief to many sugar beet growers who will have fewer options in the fight against disease, explains Georgia Antoniou, FMC commercial technical manager.
“The sugar beet industry has been in the spotlight and seen several significant changes in the last few years, which has resulted in a decrease in the chemistry available to growers,” she says.
“At the same time, Cercospora and Ramularia are diseases which continue to pose a threat to sugar beet crops, with levels of Cercospora in particular reported to be on the increase. This means it’s never been more important for growers to have access to a range of flexible options to help manage disease pressure,” she says.
Flutriafol is commonly used in cereal control programmes, as it has proven activity against rust in winter wheat and winter rye. More recently, the chemistry has displayed great control over Cercospora in sugar beet trials carried out by FMC.
“This active will be a fantastic tool in a sugar beet growers’ kit, particularly in the face of ever-changing legislation and unpredictable weather,” she says.
“The early sugar beet season this year was challenging due to poor weather. However, better weather in the last couple of months has meant crops have been moving quickly through the growth stages and critical timings for disease control in sugar beet will soon creep up,” she says.
“This new approval has come at the ideal time to get ahead of disease risks in the field,” she adds.
Flutriafol should be applied from growth stage BBCH20 when disease pressure and weather conditions dictate, generally starting towards the end of July. Application can be made up to 0.5L of product per hectare, either on its own or in mixture with an appropriate approved partner product.
