California OKs BASF’s Merivon fungicide

US’s California has approved BASF’s Merivon fungicide(fluxapyroxad+ pyraclostrobin) for use on almonds. This advanced fungicide helps to maximize yield potential by offering improved control of key diseases, proven Advanced Plant Health benefits, and the longest-lasting protection available. Almond growers in California now can use this powerful fungicide to prevent and control a broad spectrum of almond crop diseases.

“Merivon fungicide will give growers more consistent performance for maximum crop potential,” said Nick Schweizer, Product Manager, BASF. “The introduction of Merivon fungicide into the California almond market creates a new standard of disease control for almond growers.”

Field trials demonstrate that Merivon fungicide controls key diseases such as blossom blight, almond scab, shothole and Alternaria better than other products on the market. Optimal application timing is at full bloom to control early season diseases such as brown rot and blossom blight. Controlling these early season diseases means healthy blooms, and healthy blooms bring the potential for more almond meat yield.  

Merivon fungicide is a 1:1 premix of F500 – an active ingredient in Pristine fungicide – and Xemium fungicide. Xemium fungicide continuously distributes its chemistry throughout the plant to deliver disease control with extended residual protection.

The combination of active ingredients in Merivon fungicide can also lead to Advanced Plant Health benefits. These include enhanced photosynthesis, which increases energy production in almond trees and ultimately contributes to increased yield potential.

A second application can also be made later in the growing season to keep diseases including scab, shothole anthracnose, rust and Alternaria in check effectively. Merivon fungicide can also be mixed with other products, including insecticides.

“Almond trees that don’t need to fight disease have more energy available to produce healthy blooms. And healthy blooms lead to the opportunity to have higher almond yields,” said Schweizer.

The registration of Merivon fungicide for almonds in California demonstrates the commitment BASF has to bringing innovative products to the specialty market to fight disease, insects and weeds. BASF continuously researches and develops new solutions to help growers increase yield and profits.