>Bayer CropScience announced that its new fungicide Reason has been accepted for review by the EPA as a reduced-risk fungicide.
It is hoped by the company the product will be available for use on potatoes and other vegetable crops this year.
The product is also under going concurrent review with the California Department of Pesticide Registration. Besides potatoes, registration is expected this year on tomatoes, onions, lettuce and cucurbits.
Reason is a locally systemic, fast-acting foliar fungicide that stops disease development at more sites of action within the disease life cycle, providing more complete crop protection than other products. It also acts against both the direct and indirect germination cycles of many key diseases for more effective control.
The active ingredient, fenamidone, acts by disrupting electron transport in the pathogen’s mitochondria, thereby stopping diseases before they develop in the leaf tissue. This preventative activity, combined with a strong antisporulent effect, stops disease before it can spread to healthy leaf tissue.
In field trials, it provided fast, consistently high levels of control against oomycetes diseases, such as mildews and blights,” said Rob Schwehr, product manager.
The product moves through the leaf to protect new growth as it develops, making the material especially effective during periods of rapid plant growth and when rain disrupts a normal spray program.