Timing fungicide applications to control white mold
{Sponsored} Growers must be proactive with their disease-control plan every season if they want to prevent white mold from damaging their crops.
White mold can remain in the soil over the winter, living in dark-colored resting structures call sclerotia. “When temperature and moisture are right, spores are released from the sclerotia and will infect the plant blossoms. Usually this coincides with row closure and full bloom,” said Tye Shauck, Technical Service Representative at BASF. “Those infected blooms fall into the canopy, where they continue to spread the white mold pathogen.”
Therefore, it’s crucial that growers make the first fungicide application at the right time to prevent white mold from becoming a larger issue later.
The market standard for control
Shauck recommends growers look to the market standards to protect crops against white mold. Endura® fungicide is a FRAC group 7 and one of those market standards. Endura fungicide works to stop the energy centers of white mold cells from functioning properly; as a result, the cells die.
“Once the plants are wilting, most of the damage is already done. Even if you kill the pathogen, you will have lost a significant amount of yield. You can start to see symptoms 10–14 days after infection takes place,” said Shauck. “By applying Endura fungicide preventatively, growers stand a better chance of weathering the season without white mold crippling their crop.”
The right fungicide at the right time
Growers should apply Endura fungicide during bloom, which is typically around row closure, to control white mold as well as early blight. They can also choose to tank-mix chemistries that control other pathogens. However, Endura fungicide should be applied in rotation with other chemistries, and no more than two FRAC group 7 chemistries should be applied back to back.
The first application is the most important because Endura fungicide works to protect the plant by preventing infections and has some residual activity. By applying early and following up on applications, plants are optimally protected from white mold. “Don’t wait too long for sequential fungicide applications; otherwise you will have a gap in which you will not have residual protection,” said Shauck.
After that initial application, subsequent applications should fall every 7–14 days at regular intervals to continue to protect the plant.
Crop rotation can also help reduce the threat of white mold. White mold can survive in soil for years, and by rotating crops, growers can further reduce the risk that white mold will become a problem.
To learn more about Endura fungicide, speak with your local BASF representative or visit GrowSmartPotatoes.com.
Always read and follow label directions. Endura is a registered trademark and Grow Smart is a trademark of BASF.
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