Independent trials impress

In fungicide trials managed by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), iblon performed impressively to deliver protection that was comparable with that of mixtures containing either mefentrifluconazole (Revysol® ) or fenpicoxamid (Inatreq® ).

“In our trials, iblon sits in the top rank of Septoria products, which is good news for growers as it brings another means of control, but it’s important to consider other diseases too,” says Fiona Burnett, professor of applied plant pathology at SRUC.

“Iblon, with its broad-spectrum control, is a powerful product to have. Its strong activity against yellow rust provides the foundation for a programme that will carry through to early Septoria protection. In combination with prothioconazole its spectrum of activity is extended to include stem-based diseases such as eyespot and Fusarium and a useful contribution to mildew control,” adds Professor Burnett.

Benefit beyond disease control

In protecting against disease, fungicides promote crop health which serves to extend green leaf retention.

Laboratory trials in controlled disease free environments show that iblon enhances green leaf retention more than untreated crops or those treated with Ascra Xpro. Field trials further confirm this greening effect, resulting in consistently higher yields compared to current standards, even in low disease pressure situations. This evidence establishes iblon as a reliable solution that delivers value regardless of disease pressure.

“The ability of SDHI fungicides to extend green leaf area was especially valuable in spring 2023 given the weather through this period. We have seen that iblon has performed impressively in retaining green leaf area and this benefit was reflected in the yield,” says Professor Burnett.

A welcome addition

AICC committee member Patrick Stephenson says the authorisation of iblon will bring efficacy and stewardship benefits.

“Iblon brings another frontline piece of chemistry to the fungicide armoury that we can utilise in disease control strategies. Its approval will help us maintain efficacy and provide additional protection to all our chemistry options,” Mr Stephenson says.

Frontier Agriculture crop production technical lead Dr Paul Fogg is equally pleased with the arrival of iblon, having seen it perform strongly in trials during 2023.

Dr Paul Fogg

“It is great to have innovation, which helps to keep the job moving forwards.

“What really stood out this year was that it was a season of two halves; Septoria early on and then yellow rust. The broad-spectrum activity of iblon came to the fore as part of a programme.

“It is not an ‘either/or’ product. It has always performed at a good level, but last year on varieties that needed a high level of input, iblon looked to be a real stand-out solution for growers ahead of the 2024 season,” Dr Fogg says.

Acknowledgements: Ascra, Vimoy and Iblon are trademarks of Bayer. AscraXpro contains bixafen, fluopyram and prothioconazole; iblon contains isoflucypram. Revysol is a trademark of BASF. Revysol contains mefentrifluconazole. Inatreq is a trademark of Corteva Agriscience. Inatreq active contains fenpicoxamid.