Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW MARCH/APRIL 2021 29 POTATO SCIENCE LIVE themain blight genotypes tested over the past three seasons. It’s con rmation that the strategy of combining and alternating fungicide actives through the programme is working e ectively.” He reported that this has been demonstrated in the Syngenta intrinsic activity trials at Euro ns in 2020. e trial has been uniquely designed as the industry’s only season-long single product programme, under high pressure eld conditions, that truly tested performance. “Results have once again shown that Revus, along with Amphore Plus and Carial Star, also containingmandipropamid, performed exceptionally well, evenwith inoculation of blight strains including EU_36 for the rst time this season,” saidMichael. For the second year running, the performance of Revus has been optimisedwith the addition of a drift retardant technology. “Using a drift retardant with Revus is now our recommendation for the 2021 season. It would appear to get more spray into the canopy and onto the leaf, andwith the movement of mandipropamid across the leaf wax layer, that’s further enhancing performance.” Application on target SYNGENTAApplication Specialist, Harry Fordham, said nozzle trials at Euro ns last season revealed that blight applicationwith the new Syngenta 3Dninety achievedmore even spray distribution throughout the crop canopy. Used in conjunctionwith drift retardant, he said the 55 angled spray patternwas better able to get coverage on the top, middle and bottom leaves. “With 90%drift reduction, we are gettingmore spray into the crop. Improved penetration helps to protect plants fromhigher disease risk as a result of greater humidity within the canopy. e 3Dninety improves e cacy, increases work rate to take advantage of any spray opportunities and reduces drift,” he said. e Syngenta Potato Nozzle is being withdrawn for manufacture and the 3Dninety will be launched later this year. “ e 3Dninety has also performed exceptionally well for pre-emergence herbicide applications, to achieve all round coverage of soil surfaces,” he said. “It is especially good for potato seedbeds, where the drift reductionminimises issues of shading where any cross wind reduces coverage on one side of the ridge.” Harry advised nozzles should be tted to alternate spray forwards and backwards along the boom, apart fromdirectly behind the sprayer where theymay need to be pointed backwards to avoid spray hitting themachine. Responding to growers’ questions, he added the recommendedwater volume remains at 200 l/ha for both pre-emergence applications and blight sprays inmost situations. Green Headlands boost soil health and fertility PLANTING a GreenHeadland on uncropped areas around potato and eld vegetable crops can capture nutrients worth £200/ha over the growing season, whichwill not only help the following crop, but retain those nutrients in the eld and minimise environmental losses, according to Syngenta Environmental InitiativesManager, Belinda Bailey. Addressing key issues of sustainability at the Syngenta Potato Science Live on-line events, she said: “As wemove towards a newpayments system that will be orientated towards protecting and enhancing environmental assets, growers will need to look at techniques that can be economically and agronomically integrated into their farming systems.” She cited the GreenHeadlands initiative, set up as part of Syngenta Operation Pollinator, as an example that delivered on environmental enrichment to support biodiversity, along with providing agronomic bene ts from improved soil structure and health. Research into theGreenHeadlandmix growing on commercial farms showed it produced 25 to 36 t/ha of greenmanure, alongwith the organic ➜ Fit 3D Ninety nozzles to alternate forward and backwards Belinda Bailey Dr Max Newbert Harry Fordham Michael Tait