http://deltafarmpress.com/news/050324-domark-fungicide/
Mar 24, 2005
Delta Farm Press
Agribusiness: Domark Section 18 for
Asian soybean rust
A new fungicide that has proven to be highly effective in controlling
Asian soybean rust in Brazil and Zimbabwe has been granted a
Section 18 emergency exemption for use on soybeans in most soybean-growing
states.
Tetraconazole, which will be sold as Domark in the United States,
can be used to protect the crop and stop Asian soybean rust
once it appears, according to researchers who have worked with
the disease. Domark contains the triazole class of chemistry
that is currently used on 75 percent of all soybean acres treated
in Brazil.
“There are different categories of triazoles,”
says Fabiano Victor Siqueri, technical agronomist with Foundation
Mato Grosso, a private organization working with farmers in
northwest Brazil.
“We have found that some give us a higher level of performance
than others.”
Siqueri said Domark and another formulation of tetraconazole
that is sold in Brazil have both provided excellent control
of Asian soybean rust in tests conducted by Foundation Mao Grosso
and other organizations.
“All of the companies here know the products and their
level of performance,” he said. “They all know they
must make sure they make recommendations that will show performance
or farmers will let them know about it.”
Siqueri spoke to a group of Valent USA Corp. and farm chemical
supply representatives who spent several days in Mato Grosso
and Sao Paulo state. Valent sponsored the trip to help its staff
and suppliers learn more about Asian soybean rust and the fungicides
available to treat the disease.
Valent recently acquired the rights to sell Domark fungicide
in the U.S. soybean market from Isagro SpA. The company expects
other Section 18 emergency exemptions to be granted for Domark
on Asian soybean rust.
“Domark is recognized as the premier fungicide and has
a proven track record for superior control of Asian soybean
rust,” said Jamie Nielson, Domark product manager who
accompanied the group to Brazil. “Its unmatched control
serves as a first line of defense to protect soybean investments
and minimize yield losses from Asian soybean rust.”
The two tetraconazole formulations have also performed well
in tests conducted by researchers in Zimbabwe, according to
Monte Miles, a plant pathologist with USDA’s Agricultural
Research Service.
Prefacing his remarks with the admonition that he was not recommending
any products, Miles told persons attending a soybean rust seminar
at the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show that certain triazole fungicides
provide longer residual and preventive control than others.
Miles has been coordinating tests involving a number of fungicides
used to control Asian soybean rust in Paraguay, Zimbabwe and
Brazil. He focused on the test in Zimbabwe in his comments at
the Gin Show.
“You have to realize that some products can be applied
every seven to 10 days and others every 14 to 21 days,”
he said. “We’re at 20 days between products in this
test. The disease started somewhere between the first and second
application in these two locations in Zimbabwe.
“All of the products gave us yield protection, so all
can be used,” he said. “When you look at the final
disease level, you can see all of the products are different.
On this end, you can see we had products with no disease in
the field. These have high residual and curative properties.”
The products he referred to included Domark and the other tetraconazole
formulation used in Brazil and Zimbabwe.
Miles says research in Brazil and Zimbabwe indicates that the
first application should be made at or near flowering and that
growers should plan on two applications, 14 to 21 days apart.
Valent’s recommendations closely follow those: For the
first application, apply 5 ounces of Domark at flowering (the
R1 stage of development) or when the first symptoms of Asian
soybean rust are found in the area. For the second, depending
on rust pressure, apply a labeled fungicide by early pod fill
(R5.1), at a 14-day to 21-day interval.
To make sure the product reaches mid-canopy, Valent also is
recommending that Domark be applied with TwinJet, flat fan nozzles
with 10 to 20 gallons of water per acre with a ground rig and
a minimum of 5 gallons with aerial equipment. Applicators should
use a nonionic surfactant with the spray.
Domark will come in a 230 ME (micro-emulsion) formulation that
is designed specifically to treat Asian soybean rust in the
U.S. soybean crop. “The product is quickly absorbed by
the soybean leaf and evenly distributed throughout the plant
to insure fast-acting, long-lasting control,” says Nielson.
“Domark can provide protection against Asian soybean
rust for more than three weeks. Plus, it protects newly-emerging
plant growth for 21 days or longer after treatment.”
He said Domark will be submitted for full Section 3 registration
from the Environmental Protection Agency for soybeans in 2005.
“Valent is excited to be able to offer growers a single
product that gives them both preventive and curative activity
on Asian soybean rust with extended residual control,”
Nielson said. “Grower experience in Brazil shows that
it has become a major tool for use against soybean rust.”
Domark is now available for use in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska,
New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia
and Wisconsin for the control of Asian soybean rust under a
Section 18.
e-mail: flaws@primediabusiness.com
