Powdery mildew is notorious for impacting yield and fruit quality, and with limited control options available, the announcement of a new bio-fungicide for control of the disease is understandably welcomed.
Selchuk Kurtev, Certis’ IPM manager, explains the importance of this development for the soft fruit industry.
“Strawberries represent almost 50% of the value of all UK-grown fruit, and are one of the highest value, home-grown fruit crops for the country.
“However, a high proportion of the most favoured commercial strawberry varieties, such as Elsanta, Sonata and Malling Centenary, among others, are highly susceptible to powdery mildew.
“Growers have access to a limited number of control options for the disease,” he says. “As temperatures start to rise, increasing disease risk, a new preventative bio-fungicide is a timely addition to the crop protection armoury.”
Amylo-X® WG is a fully registered plant protection product formulated with a unique mode of action, which works proactively to compete for space with other pathogens in the plant canopy.
Containing the bacteria, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum strain D747, at higher levels of bacterial colony forming units, means that dose rates are relatively low compared to other preventative products based on Bacillus species.
“This new bio-fungicide comes with the added advantage of promoting growth by boosting the immune system of the plant, preventing infection,” he explains.
Amylo-X® WG is effective against powdery mildew, Botrytis and Sclerotinia spp. in a wide variety of crops. It has a short harvest interval and is exempt from Maximum Residue Levels.
For more information on Amylo-X® WG visit www.certis.co.uk.
