Picarbutrazox: A novel compound for the control of seedling damping-off caused by Pythium spp.
Franz Brandl: Syngenta Crop Protection
<div><em>Pythium</em> species are serious and widespread plant pathogens causing damping-off and seedling blight in many crops worldwide. In row crops like corn or soybeans <em>Pythium</em> diseases are limiting factors by reducing the optimized plant stand for high yields. The increase of <em>Pythium</em> diseases is due to shifts towards earlier planting dates and reduced tillage systems. Both agronomic factors favor the incidence of <em>Pythium</em> diseases on seedling establishment as soils become cooler and contains higher moisture compare to more conventional planting schemes. <em>Pythium</em> diseases could be caused by one or many different species of <em>Pythium. </em>Inter and intraspecific variation of <em>Pythium</em> isolates have been documented for pathogenicity and response to fungicides. Picarbutrazox is a novel fungicide discovered by Nippon Soda Co Ltd Japan and developed globally by Syngenta for the control of oomycete diseases when applied as seed treatment in corn, soybeans, canola, cereals and other crops. It belongs to the chemical group of tetrazolyloximes with a novel but no elucidated mode of action. Benchmarked against other oomycete compounds no cross resistance has been detected for Picarbutrazox. Field and glasshouse trials from 2016 to 2018 have demonstrated, robust and consistent activity of Picarbutrazox against all pathogenic <em>Pythium</em> species in corn and soybeans at very low use rates. Picarbutrazox is a reliable and high-performing technology that address the huge variability in pathogenicity of the <em>Pythium</em> species. The compound has an excellent seed safety and mixture compatibility with additional fungicides, insecticides and nematicides. Picarbutrazox will complement the leading seed treatment oomycete control portfolio of Syngenta Seedcare consisting of mefenoxam and azoxystrobin.</div>
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