NEW chemistry to tackle foliar and stem blight in the UK and Irish potato crops has been approved and will be available for this season.

Zorvec Enicade from DowDuPont is much anticipated in the industry following many years of impressive performance in domestic trials and has proven to deliver robust control across three continents where it is already available to growers.

Suitable for use in both ware and seed crops across all varieties but expected to appeal most for use in crops with an intermediate growth habit or destined for long-term storage, it will push boundaries of traditional spray programmes by delivering revolutionary 10-day persistence following applications, three days more than current practice permits with other blight fungicides.

Sprayed at the start of the rapid growth phase, the molecule sticks to the wax layer of both stem and leaf offering 10-day persistence in control. It binds quickly and moves within the plant as it extends, protecting new leaves and stems.

Both protective and curative, with demonstrable movement into new growth, Zorvec’s Enicade’s greatest benefit may be gained from targeting the crop’s rapid growth stage.

Applications to stems and leaves results in unrivalled stem blight control providing the cleanest possible start to a blight programme.

Craig Chisolm, UK field technical manager for DowDuPont, believes Zorvec Enicade is the most exciting product they have had in 30 years. “Growers and agronomists have seen demonstrations of Zorvec Enicade’s market-leading performance over several seasons and will be excited that it is now registered for use in the UK and Ireland.

“Spray intervals of up to 10 days will be something new for growers to consider but we feel they will immediately see the benefit of added flexibility, plus the opportunity to reduce one spray pass when this 10-day strength is utilised in a spray block.

“It’s the sort of product that you can only expect to see developed in a career.”

Zorvec Enicade is supplied with a partner fungicide which has a different mode of action – an essential component in an anti-resistance strategy developed to protect this revolutionary chemistry long term.

“There is concern about the aggressiveness of blight and there’s no doubt the challenges we face are increasing," Mr Chisholm added.

“We need new chemistry and Zorvec Enicade is effective against all strains – including 37_A2 – with no cross resistance. There is no other molecule that offers this level of protection, control of stem blight and movement in to new growth."