Potatoes in Canada

Features Chemicals Seed Treatment
New chemistry and new combination offer more protection

Proven and new chemistry products launched by Syngenta Crop Protection Canada in 2009 are giving growers some new options for seed treatments and late blight control. Revus, registered in 2009, is billed as a “late blight specialist,” while Cruiser Max Potatoes is the first liquid seed piece treatment for both insect and disease control.

June 17, 2013  By Rosalie I. Tennison


The active ingredient in Revus provides growers with options for seed treatments and the potential to control a variety of diseases. Proven and new chemistry products launched by Syngenta Crop Protection Canada in 2009 are giving growers some new options for seed treatments and late blight control. Revus

Registered for multiple crops, Revus will be of particular interest to potato growers because it protects plants against oomycetes fungi by reducing spore germination. Fields infected with late blight, downy mildew and phytophthora blight will benefit from an application of this new product.

Revus is a Class 40 chemistry, one of only two products in this class, according to Tara McCaughey, Syngenta technical crop manager. Speaking to a group of growers at a Potato Field Day, McCaughey reported that Revus is “rain fast” because it binds to waxy leaf surfaces. “This is a translaminar product that will provide protection to both the top and bottom of the leaf,” she explains. “Revus uses a unique LOK + FLO trademarked technology in combination with the activity of mandipropamid.”

In company literature, Syngenta explains the action of Revus as follows: “upon application, mandipropamid locks (LOK) tightly to the waxy cuticle of treated leaves, quickly becoming rain fast and establishing a barrier to prevent fungi from taking hold. Meanwhile, a steady supply of fungicide enters the leaf, flowing (FLO) through the inner tissue by translaminar activity to protect both sides of the leaf with a long-lasting reservoir of the active ingredient.”

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“Revus has a low-use rate of one jug per 16 to 24 acres,” continues McCaughey. “It will also work well in a resistance management strategy.”

Growers are advised to use Revus in a rotation with other classes of fungicides that are labeled for control of the same diseases, a practice that will reduce the potential for new infections in a field.

Another new product, according to Scott Ewert, Syngenta’s seed care specialist, is Cruiser Max Potatoes, which is a combination of Maxim liquid PSP and Actara 240SC offering control of Colorado Potato Beetle, potato leaf hopper, aphids, rhizoctonia, fusarium and silver scurf. “The values of Cruiser Max for Potatoes are the lower dose rate that is used on seed and its ease of application,” Ewert explains. “With dust products, you can’t always get the desired treatment on all of the seed. With this liquid treatment, you are treating all sides of the seed piece to get improved coverage and control.”

Ewert says the liquid formulation is an improvement for growers in terms of exposure because, with a liquid application, all the treatment is in an enclosed area. “A requirement for growers wanting to use Cruiser Max Potatoes is to have a treater able to apply this new technology,” he says. “It is important to completely cover the seed to protect the plant.”
He says the Milestone liquid applicator is proving to be the best method of applying Cruiser Max Potatoes to the seed; however, the company is evaluating other liquid applicators as well.

According to Ewert, Syngenta is investing in new seed treatment products for the future that will also be in liquid form. Getting access to new technology is positive news for growers, especially with the products’ ability to control a variety of pests and problems. n


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