Bayer CropScience launches Provost Opti fungicide in USA

Peanut farmers’ arsenal of protection against soilborne and leaf spot diseases just got stronger with the 2016 introduction of Provost® Opti. This broad-spectrum fungicide provides the same excellent disease protection and efficacy as Provost in a new formulation for enhanced tankmix flexibility.

“Provost has ranked at or near the top of university trials year-after-year, and now Provost Opti makes it easier and more convenient to get that high level of peanut protection in a formulation that mixes well with EC pyrethroids, chlorothalonil and micronutrients, including boron and others,” says Thorsten Schwindt, Bayer product manager.

Provost Opti excels when disease pressure is highest due to its wide range of activity on foliar and soilborne diseases, including white mold and Cylindrocladium black rot (CBR). This protection can add up to significant yield increases.

After application, Provost Opti moves in both directions: downward to protect unsprayed areas of the canopy, and upward to new leaves. This movement can provide protection to pegs, lower leaves and stems — even when these areas are not sprayed directly. Not only does this contribute to greater yields, the fungicide is also a good choice for resistance management.

“Managing resistance is critical,” says Schwindt. “As the leading triazole fungicide brand in peanuts, Provost Opti doesn’t have a strobilurin or SDHI component, which makes it a good fit for resistance management programs because it can be rotated with products containing these chemistries.”