Emergency chemicals needed for pulse crops

 Pulse Australia has been forced to seek emergency permits for alternative fungicides for chickpea and lentil crops after a shortage of registered ascochyta control options.

Southern zone development officer for Pulse Australia Wayne Hawthorne said the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) had granted an emergency permit for the use of Captan fungicide on lentils and chickpeas.

Chickpea producers also had emergency access to one other non-registered fungicide, while Pulse Australia was attempting to win clearance for others, he said.

Mr Hawthorne said it had been a big year for fungicide applications in southern regions, and expected there could be another further control, taking many growers up to three fungicide sprays.

The heavy rain across pulse producing areas is the major reason for the high loads of fungal disease, while Mr Hawthorne also said the growing acreage was also a factor, especially in lentils.

“The intensity of lentil production is up, and perhaps you’re getting some guys who are not bothering with seed treatments, which means the disease can spread, or perhaps it is coming in from adjacent paddocks that previously had lentils, but there are issues.”

Reports from the key South Australian lentil producing region on the Yorke Peninsula had been that lentil crops had been impacted more by ascochyta than usual, he said.

“Generally, with the lentils, it is botrytis grey mould that is the major problem, but this year, due to the conditions, ascochyta is also an issue.

“Growers are generally OK for supply of fungicides for grey mould, but there is an issue regarding ascochyta, with northern chickpea growers also requiring large amounts of ascochyta control products.”

“They knew they had to watch grey mould and they ordered appropriate stock, but with ascochyta, it was a little more unexpected.”

In spite of the fungal disease issues, Mr Hawthorne said the lentil prognosis was still broadly positive following last week’s rain, although growers will now look for warmer and drier conditions to allow more pods to form.