Syngenta’s seed treatment Saltro Duo for blackleg now available in Australia

A superior seed treatment that controls blackleg and other diseases in canola is now available in Australia for the 2020 winter crop season.

SALTRO^® DUO has been extensively trialled throughout Australia and has demonstrated excellent disease protection in canola seedlings as well as unparalleled seed safety.

Agronomist Cam Conboy, from Gorst Rural in western Victoria, said blackleg was their major disease in canola. He said the introduction of SALTRO DUO provided excellent early protection.

“Early protection is absolutely critical,” he said.

“Canola is usually one of the first crops in (and) if the grower doesn't get back to it to check, or double check, we have had crops wiped out in that early stage.

“We've been trialling SALTRO DUO for two years now and we've been really impressed with its performance. It is a step up on anything we've been currently using.”

The early seedling vigour seen with SALTRO DUO has been attributed to the control of not only blackleg but rhizoctonia and pythium, while helping establish crop competition against other pests. The use of SALTRO DUO also means one or two fewer post-emergent foliar sprays, which has logistical benefits, especially in wet times.

Cam Comboy, Ghorst Rural, found SALTRO^® DUO effectively controlled blackleg at Lake Bolac.


“We are really impressed with its early seedling control,” Cam said (pictured above).

“Its control is bar none, in that early protection period. When we combine it with flutriafol, we think we get a really good length of protection, possibly getting ourselves to that early flowering stage.”

Cam said the high rainfall, tight rotations and stubble retention had led to high blackleg pressure, which required a range of methods to help control the disease.

This included fertiliser application, foliar sprays and rotating different hybrids and varieties as an overall management strategy. SALTRO DUO represents an excellent new tool as part of blackleg control program.

“We've got some high expectations for SALTRO DUO,” Cam said.

“In our trial work it looks a very good performer. I think it's got a real fit.

“It will be a part of a bigger fungicide program so we will need to manage rotations and groups but from what we've seen, we'd be very comfortable in using a fair majority of our canola with SALTRO DUO."

Agronomist James Jess, from Western Ag in Ballarat, Victoria has also been trialling SALTRO DUO for the past two years and said it would be a key option going forward.

“Blackleg management is about using all the tools on your belt,” he said.

“You are using a flutriafol on the fertiliser, you are using a seed treatment, you are keeping an eye on the crop as it progresses to see whether you need that foliar.  It is a multi-pronged approach to make sure you really target a whole bunch of different areas to make sure you get the desired outcomes.”

James Jess, Western Ag, found SALTRO^®­ DUO, the combination of SALTRO and MAXIM XL, the best treatment for the control of common canola diseases during trial work.


James (pictured above) said the most important part of keeping on top or controlling blackleg was that early stage of the crop when it is coming out of the ground.

He said the trial last year compared a range of seed treatments against what is now SALTRO DUO. As the SALTRO DUO name suggests, this seed treatment combines SALTRO with the trusted fungicide MAXIM XL, brought to market as twin pack.

“SALTRO DUO was a standout in the trial for most of the year. It is such a visual product.  You could really pick those plots. SALTRO by itself was certainly great but SALTRO and MAXIM XL were better than Jockey and Jockey plus Impact.”

James said it demonstrated how important it was to control blackleg early.

“Disease works its way from the lesion into the crown of the crop,” he said.

“Essentially, you've got an infected plant and as it progresses you have the risk of stem canker and you can certainly have a disaster on your hands. If you don't control blackleg, it will really bite you.”

James said it was particularly important in areas where other early season options were being challenged by resistance.

“When you've got an area where the flutriafol is breaking down a bit, that's where the new product really shines."

SALTRO DUO is available, ready treated from canola suppliers and also to farmers wanting to treat their own farmer-kept seed.

“Seed companies have an option so you can choose your seed treatments,” James said.

“From our point of view, it's an important product for us because it allows us to just get that extra step forward and try to really push those yields out.”

He said canola yields in the region had been at around 2.5 to 3 tonnes per hectare for a number of years and so the ability to control blackleg early, along with other management techniques, provide the opportunity to push yields well above that.