Raising the value of broad-spectrum activity

Iblon® is the brand name for isoflucypram, a recently approved broad-spectrum fungicide developed by Bayer, suitable for use at either T1 or T2, offering unrivalled broad-spectrum activity against the principal foliar threats.

“Iblon® is excellent on both yellow and brown rust and very good on Septoria,” says Jonathan Blake, ADAS technical director of crop protection.

“It is a more active SDHI on Septoria than existing standards, and the flexibility it will add to programmes will make it a valuable addition at either T1 or T2,” he adds.

Iblon® will be made available in the 2024 season as a co-pack named ‘ion iblon® ’. This is a combination of Vimoy® (iblon® ) and Proline® (prothioconazole).

As chart 1 shows, in trials spanning three consecutive seasons, ion iblon® gave control of Septoria tritici consistent with that of the current standards Univoq® (fenpicoxamid + prothioconazole) and Revystar® XE (fluxapyroxad + mefentrifluconazole) when applied at T1.

Iblon’s® performance against yellow rust is equally impressive. As chart 2 shows, ion iblon® outperformed products containing Solatenol® (benzovindiflupyr), such as Elatus® Era in 13 of 19 trials to deliver a greater yield over the untreated. On average, ion iblon treated crops yielded 0.1 t/ha more than those receiving Elatus® Era.

There is an equally strong performance for the control of brown rust. Chart 3 shows that ion iblon delivers outstanding brown rust activity to give reliable and persistent protection.

“These trials highlight iblon’s® broad-spectrum control,” says Rosalind O’Hare, Bayer campaign manager for combinable fungicides. “Against any single disease, ion iblon® is comparable with the accepted standard for that disease, but viewed in the context of the wider pathogen threat, iblon offers unrivalled protection.

This is the value of iblon® . It offers strong curative and protectant activity against multiple threats. This supports a strategic approach to crop protection that seeks to confront the seasonal situation while practicing resistance management and protecting yield potential,” Mrs O’Hare adds.

Performance beyond foliar threats

While foliar diseases dominate crop protection strategies, stem-based threats, such as eyespot, Fusarium and mildew should not be overlooked. Here too, iblon® has been shown to contribute protection.

According to information published by the AHDB, most field populations of eyespot are a mix of the W and R types of the disease. The prevalence of one over the other is driven by local conditions, but invariably both will be present. To ensure performance, fungicides are tested against both strains.

In trials by the University of Nottingham, ion iblon® delivered greater control of both the W and R types of eyespot than achieved by either Ascra® Xpro® (bixafen + fluopyram + prothioconazole) or Proline® , as shown in charts 4 and 5.

Greening benefit

Alongside unrivalled broad-spectrum disease control, iblon® has been proven to deliver yield benefits irrespective of disease pressure. 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.

Verification of iblon’s® potential to control disease and protect yield potential was demonstrated in regional trials performed by the Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC) in 2023.

Across five regions of England, crops treated with ion iblon® at T1 performed best, producing an average yield of 11.26 t/ha, as shown in chart 6.

Key messages

• Iblon® (isoflucypram) is Bayer’s new broad-spectrum fungicide

• Available in 2024 as a co-pack named ‘ion iblon® ’ - includes Vimoy® (iblon® ) and Proline® (prothioconazole)

• Unrivalled broad-spectrum disease control on key diseases

• Yield boosting benefits in addition to disease control

• Outstanding Leafshield formulation

Acknowledgements: Ascra, Vimoy and Iblon are trademarks of Bayer. AscraXpro contains bixafen, fluopyram and prothioconazole; Vimoy contains isoflucypram. Elatus and Solatenol are both a trademark of Syngenta. Elatus Era contains benzovindiflupyr and prothioconazole. Revystar is a trademark of BASF. Revystar XE contains fluxapyroxad and mefentrifluconazole. Univoq is a trademark of Corteva Agriscience. Univoq contains fenpicoxamid and prothioconazole.