BASF launches Intrinsic brand fungicides into golf market

Date:09-16-2010

BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals announced the launch of its Intrinsic brand fungicides; Honor Intrinsic brand fungicide and Insignia SC Intrinsic brand fungicide, into the golf turfgrass market. Both Honor Intrinsic and Insignia SC Intrinsic are labeled for disease control and plant health benefits and Intrinsic is the BASF umbrella brand for all products labeled for plant health in the turf & ornamentals markets.

Combined of pyraclostrobin and boscalid, Insignia SC Intrinsic brand fungicide and Honor Intrinsic brand fungicide improve plant health, not just through superior, broad spectrum control of fungal diseases, but also through improved tolerance to stress and increased efficiency of plant processes.  Research shows Intrinsic brand fungicides enable turf to better withstand disease and environmental stresses including drought, moisture, and temperature extremes, as well as mechanical stresses such as aerification.

“BASF has studied plant health benefits from pyraclostrobin, the active ingredient in both fungicides, for more than 10 years in crop and for the last three years in turf & ornamentals,” sAId Brian Lish, Business Manager, BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals. “Our research shows several tangible benefits to the golf course superintendent that includes superior disease control and greater root system density within the turf, which provide for faster recovery from stresses.”
 
Insignia SC Intrinsic brand fungicide and Honor Intrinsic brand fungicide improve plant health through inhibition of mitochondrial respiration in both fungal diseases and plants.  In fungi, inhibition of mitochondrial respiration prevents the breakdown of carbon required for the production of energy to fuel fungal growth.  This results in death of the fungi and is the disease control benefit.

In plants including turfgrass, the inhibition of mitochondrial respiration causes a cascade of positive events that can result in improved tolerance to stresses and increased efficiency of plant physiological processes and plant health benefits.  Inhibition of mitochondrial respiration by pyraclostrobin results in:

Less CO2 lost by the plant, resulting in more carbon avAIlable for plant growth.
Increased activity of nitrate reductase (NR), the enzyme that is important for making a form of nitrogen that can be used by plants.  This results in more nitrogen avAIlable for plant growth.

Increased activity of enzymes like superoxide dismutase and peroxidases that remove harmful activated oxygen species.  This can result in reduced oxidative stress in response to environmental disorders, such as physiological leaf spot, ozone damage, cold stress, and heat stress.
On sale October 1, 2010, both Honor Intrinsic and Insignia SC Intrinsic are labeled for disease control and plant health and may be used on golf course tees, greens and fAIrways to control a broad spectrum of diseases including dollar spot, fAIry ring, anthracnose, as well as patch and root diseases. Both fungicides control the tough diseases for up to 28 days with added plant health benefits of increased root length and density over untreated turf under drought/moisture, temperature and aerification stresses. These Intrinsic brand fungicides prime the immune system of the turfgrass before a stress event occurs helping the turfgrass endure and overcome the event through root retention. Honor Intrinsic and Insignia SC Intrinsic help to reduce labor costs and enhance peace of mind for the golf course superintendent. See product labels for a full listing of diseases controlled.