ADVERTORIAL
New
for Peanut Leaf Spot Control
When Something Old Becomes New Again.
Protecting peanuts from costly defoliation and resulting yield losses caused by early and late leaf spot requires season-long management and a good rotation of active ingredients. This includes the ability to provide growers with the flexibility to tank-mix additional modes of action into their peanut disease programs.
Cultivars, weather, prior years with high leaf spot severity, and a variety of cultural practices can favor intense disease pressure during the growing season. Early and late leaf spot fungi overwinter in peanut crop debris. Old lesions on previously infected peanut leaves and stems produce spores that can infect the new crop. While most inoculum is local, spores can blow in from neighboring fields and occasionally over long distances, particularly during tropical storms.
“Peanuts are an ideal crop for an integrated pest management approach,” says Karen Westcott, Fungicide Lead for UPL. “Leaf spot remains a key disease worry for peanut growers, and we are happy to be able to bring an old-new product to peanut growers.”
Early and late leaf spot symptoms are first seen on leaves at the bottom of the plant. Later, the number of spots increase as the disease progresses. Plants begin to defoliate, starting with the bottom leaves and moving into the upper canopy. If leaf spot is present in your field, it can completely defoliate the entire crop. Control is necessary to prevent defoliation and yield loss of 50 percent or more. Typically, late leaf spot is more difficult to control — once it gets started it’s even more explosive than early leaf spot and can be a bigger challenge to manage.
Late Leaf spot infestation
During challenging growing seasons like many experienced in 2019 and 2020, fungicides play a critical role in protecting yields. Superior protection is needed for superior yields and profits. Several university researchers have observed increased leaf spot resistance with single-site fungicides in FRAC groups 3 (DMI) and 11 (QoI); and are seeing the potential for reduced efficacy to FRAC group 7 (SDHI) fungicides, a situation that brings further concerns. The triazole fungicides belong to FRAC group 3 while the strobilurin fungicides belong to FRAC group 11. Both classes of chemistry have been long standing standards within a peanut Rx program. THE POWER OF MICROTHI™ MICRONIZED SULFUR Now, growers can significantly improve the leaf spot effectiveness of products in these FRAC groups with the addition of MICROTHI micronized sulfur, a new product from UPL. MICROTHI as a tank-mix partner to your current program provides a boost in leaf spot efficacy and is believed to help slow the build of resistance to current active ingredients. Why? The answer is in the fungicide’s mode of action. Protectant fungicides use different modes of action to prevent fungal development. MICROTHI micronized sulfur helps prevent fungal spores from germinating, disrupting electron transport in the mitochondria.
When combined with a fungicide’s other modes of action, the application is more effective.
DATA - TIFTON, GA TRIALS (2017-2018) TREATMENT
% DEFOLIATION
YIELD (LBS/ACRE)
w/o Microthiol
with Microthiol
w/o Microthiol
with Microthiol
UNTREATED
98.1
93.9
2,973
4,489
ALTO 100 SL
96.9
75.9*
4,624
5,593
PROVOST OPTI
95.2
63.7*
5,165
6,349
®
™
Alto® 100 SL yield boost with Microthiol = +969 lbs/acre X $0.197/lb(a) = $190.89/acre Estimated ROI = $170.89/acre
Provost™ OPTI yield boost with Microthiol = +1,184 lbs/acre X $0.197/lb(a) = $233.25/acre Estimated ROI = $213.25/acre
*Denotes significant difference between Microthiol in the tank verses no Microthiol (a) Price of peanuts per pound as of October 5, 2020 Elsevier Crop Protection 125 (2019) 104911 AUTHORS: (Albert K Culbreath, Timothy B. Brenneman, Robert C. Kemerait, Jr., Katherine L. Stevenson, Daniel J. Anco)
University recommends tank mixing MICROTHI during the early and middle part of a spray program; applying two or three times during the season. Researchers agree that adding MICROTHI not only makes FRAC 3 and 7 applications more effective it can also help extend the effectiveness of current SDHI fungicide technologies, slowing resistance to economically important technologies, and possibly even reducing the overall amount of fungicide needed to achieve disease control.
“In extensive field trial work across the Southeast, researchers have discovered that adding MICROTHI to triazole and strobilurin fungicides improves leaf spot control while helping to manage the resistance that we have with those classes of fungicides,” says Richard Royal, UPL Technical Sales Representative for the Southeast. “MICROTHI is a very cost-effective addition to a grower’s spray program that pays off. Adding 5 pounds of MICROTHI as a tank-mix partner boosts leaf spot control and supplements key nutrient,” Royal continues.
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...adding MICROTHI to triazole and strobilurin fungicides improves leaf spot control...
”
RICHARD ROYAL, UPL Technical Sales Representative
A cousin to the market-leading MICROTHIOL® DISPERSS®, manufactured by UPL, MICROTHI provides the next level in peanut plant health. The 80% micronized sulfur in a dry, granular form that goes into suspension readily without forming foam.
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MICROTHI uses a state-of-the-art development process to provide a reliable supply to meet the growing demand of the peanut market and more. UPL is committed to providing safe and effective formulations that create sustainable solutions for growers and applicators. For dependable, economical leaf spot control, add MICROTHI micronized sulfur to your prescription program. Find more information, contact your local UPL sales representative or visit www.upl-ltd.com/us.
3 MICROTHI going into solution
SULFUR: A TRUSTED ALLY FOR DISEASE CONTROL
Sulfur is one of the oldest pesticide elements; some reports date its foundational use to 1000 BC for control of diseases in plants (source: British Society for Plant Pathology). More recently, its use rose significantly in the 19th and 20th centuries for control of a broad range of diseases in fruit, vegetable and other crops — including peanuts. By the 1970s, the amount of sulfur used by growers in the U.S. was 2½ times that of any other fungicide. For peanut growers who depend on sulfur-based disease control, sulfur’s popularity comes as no surprise. Sulfur was among the first fungicides to be used in peanuts for control of foliar diseases, particularly leaf spot, but as newer fungicides were approved, the old standby was forgotten.
Today, UPL has turned this age-old resource into next-generation technology that growers can rely on to boost the efficacy of their disease-management program in peanuts. MICROTHI: THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF SULFUR University researchers and plant pathologists are recommending adding MICROTHI to the disease management regimen, starting early and midseason. As an 80% micronized sulfur product, the sulfur particles of MICROTHI are held in suspension for superior coverage. It’s a convenient and economical addition to the tank to boost the efficacy of FRAC Group 3, 7 and 11 fungicides that are showing resistance while feeding the peanut plant for healthier yields. It also features low toxicity to plants, animals and beneficial insects.
ADD TO YOUR GROUP 3, 7 AND 11’S MICROTHI: KEY BENEFITS • Economical tank-mix addition to boost efficacy • Excellent resistance management tool • Synergistic plant health benefits • Innovative micronized formulation • Strong environmental profile • Excellent crop safety • Proven sulfur technology • Low risk to applicators
APPLICATION RECOMMENDATIONS • Ideal for early to mid-season applications • Recommend 2–3 applications per season • Recommended use rate: 5 pounds per acre • MICROTHI dissolves rapidly in water • Agitation recommended to keep product in suspension • REI: 24 hours • PHI: 0 days
Before applying MICROTHI, read and follow label instructions and precautions. Certain crops may be temperature-sensitive to sulfur. Use caution when temperatures reach and/or exceed 90 °F. Contact your local extension agent for additional information and recommendations.
Always read and follow label directions. DISPERSS, MICROTHI, MICROTHIOL, UPL, the UPL logo and OpenAg are trademarks of a UPL Corporation Limited Group Company. All other products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective companies. ©2020 UPL Corporation Limited Group Company. MICRO-2001B