Canada
May 19, 2009
As seeding begins with the
promising yield potential that a new season brings, fungicide
trial data from last year provides yet more evidence that
spraying a fungicide will help cereal and canola growers in
Western Canada protect that yield potential.
Results from last summer’s fungicide Demonstration Strip Trials
(DSTs), a Prairie-wide trial program conducted by
Bayer CropScience,
confirmed yield advantages of 6% in wheat and barley and 5% in
canola under real field conditions.
“Once the rush of seeding is over, attention will soon turn to
herbicide and fungicide spray decisions,” says Graham Hastie,
Fungicide Product Manager for Bayer CropScience based in
Calgary. “Every year there’s a lot of discussion around the
fungicide spray decision and that’s why it’s timely that results
of our 2008 fungicide DSTs have been compiled and analyzed --
providing food for thought for growers as they evaluate their
spray decision this year.”
The field-scale fungicide DSTs were set up at 36 farm locations
across the Prairies. Designed to measure product performance
across a variety of environmental and local conditions, each DST
location has standardized treatments in a field-scale sized
trial, replicated twice. Treatments are sprayed side-by-side
under identical soil, moisture, climatic conditions and
agronomic practices to provide meaningful results.
Results in Cereals
In cereals, the DSTs compared Bayer CropScience fungicides
Folicur® and Stratego® to untreated. The trials showed that both
fungicides applied at the critical flag leaf stage provided the
protection against leaf diseases needed to boost yields. Both
products helped deliver yields that were 6% more than untreated
wheat. Similar results were seen in barley, where
Stratego-treated barley measured an average yield of 80 bu./ac.
compared to an average 75.4 bu./ac. for the untreated barley, or
6% more.
“It’s the ultimate field test,” says Troy Basaraba, Market
Development Specialist with Bayer CropScience in western
Manitoba. Basaraba coordinated the western Manitoba DST trials
and notes that participating growers understand that in doing
these trials they’re testing fungicides under field conditions
to determine the effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) of
foliar fungicide use compared to not treating.
Fungicides help protect canola yields from sclerotinia
Two different fungicide treatments to combat the threat of
sclerotinia in canola were also tested at DST sites. Despite
what has been acknowledged as lower sclerotinia pressure across
the Prairies in 2008 compared to previous years, the Proline®
fungicide-treated canola produced yields of 5% over the
untreated while Rovral® Flo fungicide also produced a similar
result over the untreated.
“What’s most significant is the protection of your yield
potential,” says Basaraba, noting that in a typical year with
higher sclerotinia pressure, the yield difference would be
magnified. “Given the value of hybrid canola, protecting the
yield potential of your high value seed makes good economic
sense – particularly because the threat of sclerotinia is
significant.”
Basaraba reconfirms that fungicides protect yield potential of
your high-value crops.
“Pencil out the math,” he advises. “Calculated at today’s
commodity prices, the average yield advantages we’ve seen in our
trials more often than not will pay for the fungicide treatment
at the label rate.”
While trial data is an important indicator when considering the
value of a fungicide application this year, growers are
encouraged to scout their fields, consider the environmental
conditions, rotations, resistant varieties, and then make an
informed decision about fungicide use in your fields. Basaraba
also recommends consulting with local agronomists who are a
valuable resource on plant disease and fungicide use
information.
For more information on the DST results or on how Bayer
CropScience fungicides can help you reap a stronger harvest in
your cereals and canola, visit
www.BattlefieldForYield.ca
Folicur®, Proline™, Stratego® and Rovral® are trademarks of
Bayer. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada
About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the
fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer
CropScience AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of
about EUR 6.4 billion (2008), is one of the world’s leading
innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop
protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant
biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of
products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable
agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer
CropScience has a global workforce of about 18,000 and is
represented in more than 120 countries. |
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