Fungicides Provide The Only Proven Protection

U.S. soybean growers make herbicide application a regular part of their management regimen to produce a profitable crop. With the looming threat of soybean rust, they soon may need to think of fungicide treatments in much the same way.

Growers in nations such as Brazil, South Africa and Zimbabwe routinely make preventive fungicide applications for soybean rust protection. Several questions face U.S. growers as they consider fungicide options:

How do fungicides work?

There are two basic groups of fungicides:

• Protectant fungicides cover plant surfaces and prevent pathogens from entering plant tissue.
  
  
• Systemic fungicides are absorbed by plants to provide internal disease protection.
  

Regardless of the fungicide used, timely application and thorough coverage are the keys to success.

What fungicides currently are registered for soybean rust?

• Headline® from BASF.
  
  
• Equus DF® and Equus 720 SST® from Farmsaver.com.
  
  
• Echo® 90DF and Echo® 720 from Sipcam Agro USA.
  
  
• Bravo® and Quadris® from Syngenta Crop Protection Inc.
  
  
• Headline® SBR from BASF has been granted Section 18 exemptions in AL, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI.
  
  
• Folicur® 3.6F and Stratego® from Bayer CropScience have been granted Section 18 exemptions in AL, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TX, VA, TN, WV, WI.
  
  
• Laredo® EC and Laredo® EW from Dow AgroSciences have been granted Section 18 exemptions in AL, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ , NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI.
  
  
• Uppercut™ from DuPont has been granted Section 18 exemptions in AR, DE, IA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MN, MS, NE, OH, SC, TN.
  
  
• PropiMax® EC from Dow AgroSciences has been granted Section 18 exemptions in AL, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI.
  
  
• Orius® 3.6F from Makhteshim-Agan has been granted Section 18 exemptions in AL, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV.
  
  
• Bumper® from Makhteshim-Agan has been granted Section 18 exemptions in AL, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI.
  
  
• Tilt® from Syngenta Crop Protection has been granted Section 18 exemptions in AL, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI.
  
  
• Quilt® from Syngenta Crop Protection has been granted Section 18 exemptions in AL, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI.
  
  
• Domark® 230 MF from Valent USA has been granted Section 18 exemptions in AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI.
  
  

Use of these fungicides under the Section 18 quarantine exemption will not be allowed until the time that soybean rust has been confirmed to be present in the continental United States by the United States Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS). Once USDA/APHIS has confirmed that soybean rust is present, all existing EPA-approved section 18s for soybean rust will be automatically released for implementation.

Check this site regularly for an updated list of registered fungicides, and always read and follow label directions.

When should fungicides be applied?

One ironclad lesson learned in Brazil and other infected nations is that fungicide treatments must be preventive, not curative.

Soybean plants need protection from flowering through pod fill to maximize yield potential. Brazilian growers plant early and apply a fungicide at beginning pod, followed by a second application 14 days later. South African growers spray at first flower, then again 20 days later. A third application, if needed, is made in an additional 20 days.

Initial research from the USDA/ARS suggests that the best program in areas of high soybean rust pressure will be an application at first flowering, followed by two more applications at 21-day intervals.

Always read and follow label directions.

Headline is a registered trademark of BASF.
Folicur and Stratego are registered trademarks of Bayer CropScience.
Laredo and PropiMax are registered trademarks of Dow AgroSciences.
Uppercut is a trademark of DuPont Crop Protection.
Equus is a registered trademark of Farmsaver.com.
Bumper and Orius are registered trademarks of Makhteshim - Agan.
Echo is a registered trademark of Sipcam Agro USA.
Bravo, Quadris Quilt and Tilt are registered trademarks of Syngenta Crop Protection.
Domark is a registered trademark of Valent USA.