With sales of chlorothalonil due to finish on 20 November, this autumn will mark the last opportunity to buy this exceptionally useful active ingredient for use next spring prior to 20 May.
Therefore, it is essential that growers ensure they are covered now for their requirements for the most effective multi-fungicide for next spring, says Dr David Ellerton, technical development director of Hutchinsons.
“Extensive commercial use and trial results in recent years have clearly shown the benefit of the application of chlorothalonil as the most effective multi-site fungicide for the control of both septoria tritici in wheat and ramularia in barley,” he says.
“Trials in both 2018 and 2019 have also clearly demonstrated the benefit of the inclusion of chlorothalonil with the new fungicide products, due to be launched next spring.”
This view is endorsed by agronomist Peter Riley of Farmacy Norfolk who states that chlorothalonil is the building block of any effective winter wheat disease programme as well as having a vital role in winter and spring barley for ramularia.
“In the future, growers will greatly miss the contribution, both in crop profitability and their role in a resistance strategy, that these cost-effective fungicides give us.”
