Bayer offers new fungicides, Valpura and Xivana Smart, in Brazil

Bayer introduced new products, the fungicides Valpura and Xivana Smart, during the 30th edition of Hortitec, the leading horticulture fair in Latin America. According to Bayer, these new formulations were developed for the effective control of diseases that threaten crop productivity.

Xivana Smart is a foliar fungicide composed of two complementary active ingredients: fluopicolide and fluoxapiprolin. As explained by Bayer, the active ingredient fluopicolide has antisporulant activity and offers strong specific curative potential against fungi of the oomycete class, ensuring a better and more productive harvest for Brazilian fruit and vegetable farmers.

Meanwhile, the active ingredient fluoxapiprolin is systemic, and its mode of action involves inhibiting the fungus via the oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) present in oomycetes. This combination results in a long control period for oomycetes due to both preventive action (translaminar activity) and systemic action (via xylem), acting throughout the pathogen’s life cycle.

According to Bayer, the new fungicide Xivana Smart controls late blight and downy mildew, providing high performance and safety for crops, such as potatoes, tomatoes, onions, grapes, and lettuce.

Additionally, Valpura is a systemic fungicide composed of bixafen, an active ingredient from the pyrazole carboxamide chemical group and the pyrazoles-4-carboxamide or C2 subgroup. Bayer officials further noted to AgroPages that the product works by inhibiting succinate dehydrogenase enzyme (SDHI).

Formulated as an Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC), Bayer adds, this year's Hortitec launch is recommended for the management of diseases, such as early blight (Alternaria solani) in potatoes and tomatoes, powdery mildew (Uncinula necator) in grapes, scab (Venturia inaequalis) in apples, and black sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) in bananas—which remain challenging diseases for fruit and vegetable producers.

″The solutions we bring to Hortitec reinforce our commitment to the agriculture of the future. We invest in innovation to develop technologies that increase productivity and add value for everyone,″ said Fabio Maia, Portfolio Manager for Fruits and Vegetables at Bayer.

″Valpura and Xivana Smart are examples of this, developed to effectively face challenging diseases, with greater safety for growers and higher quality production. These are tools that reinforce our mission to promote more sustainable and efficient agriculture,″ added Fabio.

Virus-resistant tomato

In addition to these launches, Bayer also presented varieties, such as ComandanTY tomato, at the fair—a cultivar with high fruit set and the first to offer tolerance to TY (Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae), one of the primary viral diseases of tomato. The most prevalent viral disease complex in Brazilian tomatoes is caused by Tospovirus, especially TSWV (Tomato spotted wilt virus), which leads to major production losses. Additionally, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and Potato virus Y (PVY) are other well-known viruses impacting tomato.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)