Fungal diseases have been one of the biggest challenges for Brazilian soybean growers during certain growing seasons, particularly Asian Rust, Target Spot and Cercospora. Without proper management, including innovative solutions, the first two diseases will cause productivity losses of 90% and 50%, respectively. This also has a considerable impact on the income of rural growers.
"Target spot disease has gained significant attention in recent years. A few years ago, the disease was considered secondary, but today it is considered a primary disease and is very dangerous for farmers. For example In Mato Grosso, without proper disease management, crops can cause losses of up to 17 to 20 bags per hectare, up to 3,000 reais (about 3,942 RMB), ” explains Alexandre Santaella, market development manager at BASF.
To meet this challenge, BASF has launched the innovative fungicide Blavity® (active ingredient flufenapyramide 200 g/l + prothioconazole 280 g/l). It has a double barrier against fungus, low dosage and more convenient application in products. Composed of Xemium (flupyroxyroxad) and prothioconazole, the solution is highly efficient and brings together several other advantages to give farmers more confidence in their production.
"The broad control of this fungicide greatly facilitates the life of farmers because in a single solution it is a tool capable of acting on several crop diseases. Another key point of this product is its selectivity. Often, the applied product can be highly potent but phytotoxic. When we tested Blavity®, it was the most selective product in the chemical group on the market,” said Santaella.
Brazil's 2022-23 soybean production is expected to reach a record 153.54 million tonnes, according to the latest forecast from the National Supply Corporation (Conab). To maintain this high production potential, correct management at the right time is required to prevent and combat fungal diseases in addition to longer-lasting crop protection. "This will ensure increasingly more productive, profitable and sustainable crops, allowing soybeans to be grown longer," Santaella added.
According to experts from BASF, Brazilian growers are increasingly concerned about proper guidelines for managing fungal diseases, especially in crop rotation. But there are still issues worth considering. "In Mato Grosso, cotton producers need to pay special attention to important cotton areas, such as increasing the use of multi-site. Multi-site management is fundamental, and this will become more necessary when soybeans are planted after cotton."
Another point growers need to be aware of is proper timing of management. "It's much easier to tackle the disease in a preventative way while the soybeans are still growing. Once the fungal organisms eventually develop and gain access to more nutrients, control becomes difficult, so preventive management is fundamental," Santaella explained . In addition, he noted that active ingredient rotation and a clean environment are also critical in order to maximize the efficacy of fungicides.
Launched in Brazil, the solution is part of BASF's annual R&D investment of more than 900 million euros (about 6.68 billion yuan). By 2030, more than 30 new solutions and technologies for crop conservation and seed traits will be launched, in addition to dozens of soybean, cotton, rice and digital tools.
″For 11 years, BASF has been one of the management champions of CESB (productivity award promoted by the Brazilian Soybean Strategy Board), we have outstanding legality and innovation in fungicides. Also participated in all innovations in the history of this field, Will again work with Blavity® to improve control of target spot and Asian rust," said Riccardo Gerbelli, Crop Marketing Consultant, BASF.
Source: AgroPages
