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Syngenta launches fungicide for pink rot and Pythium leak

Pink rot is a devastating soil-borne disease that thrives in wet, poorly drained soils and can survive in soil for up to seven years. Just a few infected potatoes entering the storage bin can result in substantial losses, infecting healthy tubers and compromising marketable yield. That’s why proactive management of the disease is important.

Orondis Gold Potato is applied in‑furrow as part of a preventative disease control program. It combines the power of metalaxyl‑M (Group 4) with oxathiapiprolin (Group 49) – a new mode of action to suppress pink rot and help manage the development of resistance.

“Oxathiapiprolin is the only FRAC Group 49 fungicide on the market, and is a new mode of action against pink rot,” says Eric Phillips, fungicides and insecticides product lead with Syngenta Canada.

Orondis Gold Potato is crop safe, so producers can protect their potatoes from pink rot without sacrificing yield or quality, or putting undue stress on foliage, which is possible with some other foliar options used to manage the disease.

Orondis Gold also provides suppression of Pythium leak, which enters tubers through wounds or bruises that occur during harvest and grading.

“Pythium leak is another storage disease that can develop very quickly, especially if tubers have poor skin set or are harvested in wet conditions,” Phillips says. “Infected tubers may also be more vulnerable to secondary bacterial infections, putting yield at further risk. An Orondis Gold Potato application in‑furrow can help preserve marketable yield going into storage.”

Orondis Gold Potato will be available for the 2019 growing season in a co-pack containing 2 x 2.84 L jugs of Orondis Gold A 200SC fungicide and 2 x 3.56 L jugs of Orondis Gold B 480 L fungicide.

As per the labels, Orondis Gold Potato should be applied at a rate of 3.2 mL/100 metre row of Orondis Gold A 200 C and 4 mL/100 metre row of Orondis Gold B 480 L. One case will treat 40 acres of potatoes grown using 36‑inch row spacing.

To help manage resistance, growers making an Orondis Gold Potato in‑furrow application cannot make any subsequent Orondis Ultra foliar fungicide applications. See the product label for additional information. Growers can consider applying Revus fungicide in season to target late blight if Orondis Gold Potato was used in‑furrow.