Timing is everything in life, which is why BASF may be feeling enthusiastic about its new product to control sclerotinia.
Last summer was one of the worst for sclerotinia in Western Canada, as hundreds of canola fields had severe symptoms of the fungal disease.
“Whether you were in Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta, a grower would say something (last summer) like: ‘this disease is eating my crop,’ ” said Keith Gabert, Canola Council of Canada agronomist in Alberta.
The disease pressure from 2016 is likely to spill over into future years because sclerotia bodies produced by infected plants can live in the soil for five years.
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So, January at Ag Days was an opportune time for BASF to launch its new Cotegra fungicide.
The product isn’t a new chemistry. It’s a combination of two active ingredients: boscalid, a Group 7 fungicide, and prothioconazole, a Group 3.
Paula Halabicki, technical service specialist with BASF in Manitoba, said Cotegra is registered in Canada for pulses, soybeans and dry beans, but the primary market is sclerotinia in canola.
Applying multiple chemistries and dual products with established herbicides have become normal in the weed control business, because many North American farmers are battling herbicide resistant weeds.
“I think there’s a trend towards combination products, or combinations of active ingredients (in fungicides),” Halabicki said.
Gabert said some farmers use the same fungicide every year and on different crops.
The crop protection industry is watching for overuse and fungicide resistance, but the situation isn’t as severe as it is with herbicide-resistant weeds.
Still, two active ingredients are better than one.
“With combining chemistries you’re not going to, hopefully, build up that resistance,” said Justine Cornelson, canola council agronomist for Manitoba.
Cornelson added that sclerotinia is the number one disease for Manitoba canola growers because it’s unpredictable and can cause 20 to 50 percent yield loss when conditions are right.
Plus, with wet springs and summer becoming the norm, it’s unlikely that sclerotinia will suddenly abate.
“It’s in a variety of crops,” Cornelson said. “So it just keeps on ramping up.”
