AgroPages-BASF launches new fungicide seed treatment to Australian canola growers for blackleg control-Agricultural news

BASF’s new fungicide seed treatment, ILeVO®, is now registered and available to Australian canola growers. ILeVO is a highly effective seed treatment for the management of blackleg in canola.

Blackleg, caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans, is the most serious disease of canola in Australia. “We’re excited to deliver the alternative fungicide seed treatment growers have been searching for, as limited options have been available to manage the most important disease in canola,” explained Arturo de Lucas, Seed Technologies Portfolio Manager at BASF Australia and New Zealand.

ILeVO features a systemic ingredient, Fluopyram, that translocates to the roots, cotyledons and first true leaves of canola plants. These are the areas where blackleg infection first attacks, and ILeVO’s concentration in these parts of the plant means stopping early infestation before it reaches the vascular system, causing cankering and plant death.

“Results from trials that were run over five consecutive years show that ILeVO provides more efficient protection against blackleg, with significantly better management of early leaf infections, reduced plant lodging and internal stem infection compared to the current industry standard product,” said de Lucas.

“In addition to its disease-preventative abilities, ILeVO provides a number of benefits to growers,” said Rob Hall, Head of Seeds at BASF Australia and New Zealand. “It is compatible with a range of seeds, has a low application rate, supports even crop emergence and early plant vigour and is a novel fungicide that blackleg has never seen before. ILeVO is certainly a very welcome and much-anticipated addition to growers’ rotations.”

Not only does ILeVO demonstrate good crop safety with no effect on seed germination, it also has a high range of compatibilities, with the ability to mix with other fungicidal and insecticidal seed treatments for broader protection.

ILeVO complements BASF’s portfolio of solutions for canola growers, which will continue to grow with the launch of InVigor® R4022P to the Australian market in 2020. InVigor R4022P is the first variety to combine new TruFlex® technology with BASF’s unique PodGuard® trait technology to give growers greater yield potential through improving both flexibility around weed control and harvest timing.