Tuber bulking challenge solved!

Managing processing potato crops across the expanse of Tasmania, Elders agronomist Ross Tulich loves his job.

“I couldn't live anywhere else. I love it here. There are some farms you visit, you see some very pretty scenery. You can be in the middle of a paddock somewhere and just take it in, smell the roses, have a look about. It’s nice.”

What has helped him enjoy his work just that little bit better has been his experiences with MIRAVIS® Duo fungicide. After almost 12 months on the market, it has made quite an impact. In potatoes, MIRAVIS® Duo fungicide provides protection from target spot/early blight (Alternaria spp.) and it can be applied via boom spray, aerial application or chemigation.

“Being very honest, I love it. I think it's an absolutely awesome product” he said.

Syngenta has three MIRAVIS® fungicides registered in potatoes; MIRAVIS®, MIRAVIS® Prime and MIRAVIS® Duo fungicides. Key application timing to protect against target spot is just prior to row closure to protect the canopy and then throughout the season.  

“I particularly rely on MIRAVIS® Duo late in a crop’s program, just prior to foliar nitrogen levels dropping off and favourable disease conditions occurring, which can lead to target spot coming in on the older leaves. I use other fungicide products earlier in the crop and pull the trigger on MIRAVIS® Duo prior to senescence. That's where I think MIRAVIS® Duo comes into its own as I believe it greatly aids to fill tubers.”

“Applications of MIRAVIS® Duo fungicide have been shown to enhance green leaf area and vigour, meaning good growth for tuber development,” said Syngenta Technical Services Lead, Dr Brandy Rawnsley.  

“When used later in the crop, it can help hold green leaves longer to boost tuber bulking. This is critical for increasing yields and tuber size, particularly for processing potatoes.

“The biggest benefit of MIRAVIS® Duo is that you're going to get multiple weeks out of it, whereas previously you were using other products and only getting seven days of target spot protection.  

“We can get high target spot pressure in Tassie due to periods of free moisture and favourable temperatures.  

“The fact that you can put it on and get a longer protection window is where it is a greater step up on what was previously available.

“The other thing that differentiates MIRAVIS® Duo from other products is its rain-fastness, which is a really large benefit for us.  

“One hour is absolutely perfect, a lot of other products can be up to 24 hours.  

“We can get a lot of unpredictable scud showers pass through late in our season, so this flexibility is a big positive; it also allows farmers to press on with irrigation which is critical during this period.”

Mr Tulich’s program also includes MIRAVIS® Prime fungicide earlier in the crop.  

“I use MIRAVIS® Prime earlier for the prevention of Sclerotinia prior to favourable conditions occurring. I think it's a wicked product as well; it's a big step up from some of the older products that have been over-used,” he said.

MIRAVIS® Duo and MIRAVIS® Prime fungicides are built on pydiflumetofen (group 7), a revolutionary active ingredient from Syngenta, that delivers long-lasting disease protection. Pydiflumetofen was first introduced into potatoes in 2019 with the launch of MIRAVIS®.

“Pydiflumetofen protects the plant from fungal pathogens by targeting fungi at different stages of the lifecycle, and with proven activity of difenoconazole, MIRAVIS® Duo fungicide provides an optimised formulation for best-in-class protection,” said Syngenta Technical Services Lead, Dr Brandy Rawnsley.  

MIRAVIS® Duo fungicide is a suspension concentrate (SC) and has been tested to be highly compatible with a range of other crop protection products., It also has a built-in adjuvant, so an additional wetter does not need to be added to the tank.  

As Mr Tulich says “It's a fantastic product and moving forward I'm certainly going to rely on it.” 

ENDS

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