UK approved emergency authorization for Certis’ fungicide Cuprokylt

The UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has approved a 120 day Emergency Authorisation for Certis’ fungicide Cuprokylt, for use against Nectria canker in apples and pears. The authorisation will expire on 14 July 2017 and will not be renewed.

 

Application is to be made by air assisted broadcast sprayer in a minimum water volume of 400 litres/ha. 

 

Cuprokylt is a wettable powder formulation containing 87.8 % w/w copper oxychloride. It has a multi-site mode of action and is classified by FRAC as ‘low-risk’ for the development of fungicide resistance.

 

Nectria canker can be particularly damaging in young orchards, as when a canker lesion is present in the central stem, it results in the loss of the tree. Some young orchards have suffered losses of up to 10% of the trees per year.

 

Canker infections can become established firstly in early spring during bud break where bud scales fall, leaving a scar, and more significantly during autumn, when falling leaves result in thousands of leaf scars. Being so numerous, these two routes exceed both fruit picking scars and pruning wounds in importance.