Aussie potato growers first to access new fungicide
Australian potato growers are the first to access the new fungicide Excalia, released by Sumitomo Chemical Australia, in an effort to fight Rhizoctonia solani (black scurf), the leading disease affecting production.
Excalia was launched following extensive Australian trials and a rigorous regulatory process spanning the past decade. “It has proven to be the best defence against soil borne disease Rhizoctonia solani and Yellow sigatoka, a key disease in bananas”, Sumitomo Chemical Australia marketing and business development manager Jock Leys says.
Rhizoctonia solani is a fungus, that attacks potatoes and other crops it is rotated with. It attacks the tubers, underground stems and stolons of potato plants. The disease is most visible as black scurf, which are black or brown masses of sclerotia on the surface of tubers.
The most damaging phase of the disease however often goes unnoticed and occurs underground. From where it attacks the tender sprouts before they emerge from the soil.
Important crop for Australia
Leys says Rhizoctonia solani is among a suite of five or six diseases and is widespread across the industry. “It can have a devastating impact on the marketable yield of an important crop for Australia which produces potatoes over some 30,000 hectares.”
Sumitomo Chemical Australia has completed three years of in-field screening and trials to ensure its efficacy. “Growers who’ve tried it have reported a lack of lesions and an improvement in yield, with one in Tasmania citing an increase in 18 tons to the hectare above the grower standard fungicide”, Leys points out.
“It is applied as an in-furrow spray at the time of planting. Return on investment is high – with increases in economic return many times above the approximate AUS $50 (US $33.5) per hectare to put it into the program,” Mr Leys says.
The fungicide is synthesised at one of Sumitomo Chemical Japan Co’s three discovery research centres, and shipped to Australia for domestic manufacture, packaging, and distribution.
Join 17,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the agricultural sector, two times a week.
