Canada oks copper octanoate products and fracture fungicide

The Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has granted the full registration  for the sale and use of two technical grade active ingredients  – Cueva TGAI and Cueva RTU TGAI – and eight end-use products – Cueva Commercial, Cueva Concentrate, Cueva Ready-to-Spray, Cueva RTU, Cueva RTU with Pull'N Spray Applicator, Cueva RTU with Quickpump Applicator, Cueva RTU with Wand Applicator, and Cueva RTU with Quick Connect Sprayer – containing the technical grade active ingredient copper (present as copper octanoate) to control or suppress various fungal and bacterial diseases on turf, nuts, as well as ornamentals, and a variety of fruit and vegetables in both the field and greenhouse.

Copper (present as copper octanoate) is a fatty acid salt (soap) that combines copper and octanoic acid. It is a contact fungicide and bactericide that can be applied to foliage to control or suppress various plant diseases on a broad range of agricultural and ornamental crops and turf grass. It is a new active ingredient in eight end-use products for commercial and domestic use.

In addition, the Agency has also granted full registration for the sale and use of FMC's Problad Technical Fungicide and Fracture Fungicide (previously known as Problad Plus), containing the technical grade active ingredient BLAD polypeptide, to be used to suppress or control powdery mildew and grey mould on grape, strawberry, tomato, stone fruit, almond and ornamental plants.

BLAD polypeptide is a fragment of a naturally occurring seed storage protein in sweet lupine (Lupinus albus) that serves as a nitrogen source for the germinating and developing plant. It also acts on susceptible fungal pathogens by causing damage to the fungal cell wall and disrupting the inner cell membrane. BLAD polypeptide is not yet classified by the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee, but based on the proposed mode of action, the risk of resistance is considered to be small.

There will be 60 days public comments until Dec 14, 2015.