Nov 17, 2017Growers: It’s time to establish your 2018 pest management plan
{Sponsored} In the September/October Issue of Spudman magazine, we sat down with a pair of Technical Service Representatives from BASF to recap the 2017 growing season. Despite a late start, most growers faced minimal disease pressures and powered through harvest with good qualities and yields.
Now that 2017 is coming to an end, we must turn our attention to the possibilities in 2018. With a little planning, it’s bound to be an exciting year.
“After the long harvest, hopefully growers will get time for a well-deserved break,” said Curtis Rainbolt, technical service representative for BASF. “After that, it’s never too early to begin working on a pest management plan.”
“In an ideal situation, growers can use past filed records and the rotation crop history to determine which fields might be the most susceptible to plant disease and weed problem,” he continued. “Having a plan in place before planting will make sure that the best pest fungicides go on at the perfect time.”
Planning ahead is key.
“Weeds and plant diseases are always easiest to control before they become established,” Rainbolt said. “Thus, using quality fungicides and pre-emergence herbicides are the best way to avoid an outbreak.”
Here are a few products to consider.
Priaxor® fungicide. At planting, Priaxor fungicide is a great choice for an in-furrow application. It has two active ingredients that are very effective on a wide range of potato diseases. When applied in furrow, it is particularly effective at helping to manage soilborne Rhizoctonia.
Prowl® H2O and Outlook® herbicides. Soon after planting, but before emergence, is the ideal time to apply Prowl H2O and Outlook herbicides. A tank mix of these two herbicides controls a wide spectrum of weed species, including nightshades, lambsquarters, pigweeds and many others.
“Once weeds are established in the potato crop, there are limited options to selectively remove them,” Rainbolt said. “Using a fungicide in furrow at planting and a herbicide shortly thereafter is a very effective way to get potato plants off to a quality disease-free and weed-free start.”
After all, a solid foundation typically results in a very strong finish.
For questions related to BASF’s Potato Portfolio, contact your local representative or visit www.GrowSmartPotatoes.com.
Always read and follow label directions. Priaxor, Prowl H2O and Outlook are registered trademarks of BASF.
C. 2017 BASF Corporation
