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Photo: superagronom.com
Sclerotiniosis is a dangerous disease that can cause significant yield losses in sunflowers and soybeans. It is found in virtually all cultivation regions without exception, and therefore, under the current season’s hydrothermal conditions, it requires increased attention from farmers across the country.
The disease manifests during various stages of plant development, but can cause the most damage during flowering, emphasize specialists from the company Ukravit. Therefore, to control it, it is important to choose the appropriate active substance and ensure timely protection.
“Everyone who grows sunflowers and soybeans has encountered sclerotiniosis. In addition to quantitative crop losses, the disease causes the formation of low-quality sunflower seeds, reduces its oil content, and affects the increase in the acid number of the oil, making it unfit for consumption. Soybean seeds also develop underdeveloped, with shriveled seeds, reduced protein content, and poor germination qualities. Therefore, to protect against losses, action must be taken comprehensively. Firstly, adhere to crop rotation and reduce the frequency of planting crops susceptible to the disease. Secondly, choose hybrids and varieties tolerant to the pathogen. Fields that are too dense and weedy are at increased risk, creating favorable conditions for the pathogen. And during the growing season, it is necessary to ensure disease control with appropriate active substances. For this purpose, preventive spraying of crops with fungicides based on boscalid should be carried out at the beginning of flowering,” says Volodymyr Konohrai, product manager for the “Fungicides” division at Ukravit.
To control sclerotiniosis and other diseases of sunflowers and soybeans, Volodymyr recommends the SDHI-containing fungicide Rialt (pyraclostrobin, 300 g/l + boscalid, 200 g/l). Boscalid has local-systemic action with preventive and curative properties. After spraying, part of the active substance remains on the plant surface, while the rest penetrates inside, spreads translaminarly and along the xylem acropetally.
This active substance is an inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase (SDHI) in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, where it blocks a key stage of cell respiration, resulting in impaired energy supply to pathogens. It inhibits spore germination, germ tube growth, and blocks the formation of appressoria. And pyraclostrobin is an active substance with translaminar properties that possesses protective and curative properties. It blocks electron transport in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, leading to the blockage of pathogen respiration and its ability to produce energy, which prevents spore germination and germ tube growth.
Rialt has curative and preventive properties and provides a long period of protective action, and thanks to its pronounced physiological effect under favorable hydrothermal conditions, it prolongs crop vegetation. The fungicide has positive application experience using multicopters.
In addition, this year the company registered a new product – the fungicide Vinat (boscalid, 500 g/l), aimed at controlling sclerotiniosis and other diseases of sunflowers, soybeans, and rapeseed.
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