Irish approval for new strobilurin

8 June 2001



Irish approval for new strobilurin

By Tom Allen-Stevens

IRISH growers have a new strobilurin in their armoury following the approval of a new fungicide from Syngenta.

Approval was given on Thursday (07 June) for picoxystrobin, a standalone product which will be known as Acanto. This follows recent approval in Germany.

But no product will be sold until next season, by which time Syngenta hopes to have UK approval for the strobilurin.

Picoxystrobin, hailing from the old Zeneca strobilurin programme, is claimed to have “no weaknesses” in its control of the major cereal diseases.

It has a systemic action, allowing the active ingredient to be moved around the plant, and a “mesostemic” vapour action, offering limited protection between leaves.

With Rhynchosporiums control being one of its strong points, it is believed picoxystrobin will be welcomed by barley growers.

Syngenta cereal fungicide manager Beth Hall believes its strength in wheat will be at the start of the season, in the T1 or early T2 slot.

“It has a strong kick-back activity which will help to mop up any disease that may have been lingering around the base of the wheat plant over the winter.”

Mixtures, possibly with cyprodinil (Unix), are in the pipeline but still three to four years away, reported Ms Hall.

• Strob cereal fungicides ready for battle, FARMERS WEEKLY, 17 November, 2000