Corteva Agriscience’s Verpixo^® Adavelt^® active, a critical new tool for fungicide resistance management

Date:09-15-2023

Corteva Agriscience’s new fungicide, Verpixo^® Adavelt^® active, is a highly effective new fungicide for managing challenging crop diseases, helping farmers achieve healthy and abundant yields.

Trialled extensively under Australian field conditions, Verpixo^® Adavelt^® active has consistently demonstrated its efficacy in disease control, offering a powerful new solution for growers to protect their crops from yield-limiting diseases.

The unique structure of Verpixo, based on a naturally occurring compound found in soil bacteria, enables activity across a broad spectrum of ascomycete diseases and builds upon new chemistry first established by Corteva Agriscience.

Corteva employees at the Ashbern Farms strawberry trial site.

Verpixo has been trialled at various field sites including an extensive field study at Ashbern Farms, where winter strawberries are grown across 26 hectares of land on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, as well as conventional summer strawberries in Stanthorpe.

Ashbern Farms Director, Brendon Hoyle said a major issue and concern for farmers is managing the implications of existing chemistries that are beginning to face resistance.

″Certain chemistries are experiencing increased pressure in terms of resistance build up, which can result in diseases in crops and ultimately costs us money,″ Mr Hoyle said.

″We need to be able to produce quality product to remain viable so we can’t afford resistance build up in pests or disease. It adds pressure to the crop and reduces quality.″

″As growers, we do everything we possibly can to avoid resistance and that’s what’s really exciting about this new mode of action for botrytis and powdery mildew. It gives us another tool in the toolbox which will allow us to rotate chemistries efficiently and gives us confidence that we have a better chance of disease control.″

Corteva Agriscience Horticulture Marketing Manager, Nick Koch said with many existing chemistries under threat of resistance, Verpixo is an excellent new rotation partner offering strength and adaptability for growers.

″Key diseases such as botrytis, also known as grey mould and powdery mildew, have the biology to develop resistance, and there is concern with existing chemistries beginning to experience this,″ Mr Koch said.

″Verpixo is a valuable solution, offering a completely new mode of action for these diseases that gives growers more flexibility to manage their disease control programs throughout the growing season.″

The trial at Ashbern Farms was highly successful and recorded an increase of up to 14 percent in marketable yield, and a 12-15 percent decrease in botrytis fruit infection.

Botrytis fruit infection present in strawberries.

″With existing chemistries under threat of resistance, Verpixo will redefine custom fungicide programs to sustain healthier crops, better yields and greater value,″ Mr Koch said.

Mr Hoyle said the trial data spoke for itself.

″Seeing the results of the trial and increase in marketable yield was fantastic,″ he said.

″Trials are always exciting. They give us as farmers a feel for the product’s capabilities firsthand and an opportunity to see how it’s going to fit into our farming system,″ Mr Hoyle said.

″At the end of the day that’s what we’re all about, trying to produce quality food and reduce waste.″

Along with the results from Ashbern Farms, another trial in Wamuran showcased Verpixo’s strength in managing key diseases in strawberries, highlighting its suitability as a core solution for growers and their resistant management needs.

Corteva Agriscience Field Scientist, Greg Wells said the results of the trial underscored Verpixo’s efficacy in disease management.

″For the strawberry trial in Wamuran, we conducted a season-long sequence of treatments,″ Mr Wells said.

″A sequence of sixteen treatments were placed on the strawberries, with Verpixo sprayed once or twice in a row to test its control on botrytis and other key diseases.

″The trial indicated Verpixo had excellent disease control at low use rates, resulting in greater yield potential and a reduction in disease incidence.″

Verpixo Adavelt active is registered by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) for use in strawberries, fruiting vegetables, leafy vegetables and cucurbits.

″We are committed to helping growers navigate the complexity of plant disease and mitigate the effects of emerging or established resistance,″ Mr Koch said.

″Verpixo Adavelt active is designed to meet these needs and offers a cornerstone upon which disease management programs can continue to be strengthened.″