Fungicide caramba to apply for head scab

As the warm weather approaches, and conditions become favorable for head scab, BASF experts recommend monitoring conditions and use of a fungicide to suppress head scab.

"Significant rain and high humidity as the wheat begins to flower favors head scab development," said Amber Shirley, Ph.D., senior technical specialist, BASF. "Growers need to scout fields for the exact growth stage of their wheat and monitor local risk for head scab to ensure timely applications of Caramba fungicide."

Head scab is one of the most destructive wheat diseases that growers face, making grain unmarketable, reducing yield and test weight and increasing levels of deoxynivalenol (DON).

"You want to keep the spikelets and wheat healthy and green," said Dr. Shirley. "BASF recommends the use of Caramba this season to suppress head scab and protect your crop."

Caramba is a highly effective fungicide containing the active ingredient metconazole, resulting in significant yield protection and reductions of DON levels in grain. It delivers excellent head scab suppression and provides control of late-season foliar diseases.

"Wheat growers using Caramba in 2008 saw an eight to eleven bushel per acre advantage and significant reduction in levels of DON," said Dr. Shirley. "Caramba has the next-generation active ingredient to help bring in a cleaner, bigger wheat harvest."

Caramba is applied at the beginning of flowering for optimum suppression and is labeled for use on barley, oats, rye, sugarbeets, triticale and wheat. Additional diseases controlled by Caramba include: black point, leaf blotch, net blotch, powdery mildew, rust, scald, Septoria leaf, glume blotch, spot bloch and tan spot.

Caramba complements a strong wheat fungicide portfolio that includes Headline fungicide, TwinLine fungicide, Charter fungicide seed treatment and Stamina fungicide seed treatment.

"The BASF wheat fungicide portfolio gives growers the tools they need to help protect their crops from a variety of diseases and maximize yield," said Dr. Shirley.