With new chemistry joining the fungicide armoury this season, growers looking for help with T2 product choices have help in the form of a novel new decision tool from Bayer CropScience.

The company says that the arrival of new SDHI fungicides offers more options for growers, but this can make it more difficult to recognise the most suitable fit for azole, SDHI or strob.

Using multiple input factors, the tool allows growers to calculate whether an azole/SDHI or azole/strob is the most appropriate route this season. By assessing region, variety, market, price, anticipated yield, disease risk and timing, the tool calculates the most cost effective solution. All growers need to do is to enter the information and await the results.

Product manager Phillippa Overson explains: “For growers trying to match product choice to crop potential it isn’t necessarily a straightforward matter.  Not all crops are likely to justify upgrading to a premium product such as Aviator235xpro (prothioconazole + bixafen). The idea of this tool is to help simplify that decision process.

“Growers will get the full benefit of Aviator235xpro where crops can exploit its greater efficacy and physiological properties. However, some crops have their yield constrained by soil type and moisture availability, in these cases existing chemistry in the form of an azole/strob option such as Firefly155 (prothioconazole + fluoxastrobin) may be the more cost effective solution,” concludes Ms Overson.

The decision tool can be found by following the link at the Xpro technology website, www.xprotechnology.co.uk