Available turf fungicide groups to reduce following EU decision to withdraw iprodione products

Products containing the chemical iprodione are to be withdrawn from sale following an EU ruling by the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed banning use of the substance.

Bayer makes iprodione products Chipco Green, which controls fusarium patch, red thread, dollar spot, anthracnose, leaf spot and rust, and Interface is used on microdochium patch, red thread/pink patch, dollar spot, anthracnose, leaf spot/melting out and rust.

Bayer professional product manager Steve Bishop said the company would update industy in the coming weeks with timescales for the sell-out and usage periods of iprodione product based registrations.

Bayer professional product manager Steve Bishop said: "We have a large regulatory team based in the UK who’ll keep the industry informed on all of the latest updates."

Earlier this year, Bayer launched Exteris Stressgard, which increased the available number of fungicide groups from five to six, with the new turf SDHI fluopyram.

"Unfortunately the loss of iprodione will reduce the available turf fungicide groups back to five, meaning that rotation strategy remains a critical element of integrated disease management," Bishop said. 

"With other chemicals also due for assessment, a further reduction in the total number of products on the market, and therefore the number of available groups for rotation, for turf disease control is not out of the question.

"This is why we’re constantly investing into the research and development of new chemistry, to continue to deliver solutions to our customers well into the future."