Improved disease control and yield protection at flowering
Controlling Sclerotinia stem rot demands robust protectant fungicides and good timing to protect petals throughout the flowering period.
In severe cases Sclerotinia can cause up to 50% yield loss, though the impact may vary year-to-year and between sites. Other diseases, including light leaf spot, are also present at flowering and need to be controlled.
Fungicides only provide protection from future infection, and offer no curative activity. This means that spray timings must be optimised to protect the crop throughout the flowering period, and prevent infected petals falling and sticking to leaves.
Aviator provides the most effective control of Sclerotinia and light leaf spot, plus useful effects against powdery mildew and Alternaria. In 20 on-farm comparison trials during 2019 and 2020, 85% of growers saw an average 0.18 t/ha yield advantage from using 0.75 L/ha Aviator at flowering.
When used at the recommended rate of 0.75 L/ha, Aviator delivers approximately the same amount of prothioconazole as Proline at 0.46 L/ha, but with the added benefits to disease control and crop physiology from the SDHI bixafen. With two modes of action, Aviator is also good for resistance management compared with straight Proline.
Aviator also benefits from Bayer's patented Leafshield formulation system. This improves spreading, penetration and drying, and offers notable advantages when applied to the waxy leaves of oilseed rape.
The optimum timing for the first spray with Aviator is just before mid-flowering, before the first petals fall. A single application will provide around three weeks of protection, which may be sufficient in some years, and for some sites. However, if flowering is prolonged, the disease risk is very high, or there is a history of severe outbreaks on farm, this can be followed with a second spray three weeks later.