Life after iprodione
is a major focus at BTME for the Bayer Turf Solutions Team, due to an influx of
queries from greenkeepers following the news of its withdrawal late last year.
Iprodione, the
active ingredient in Chipco Green and Interface, was officially withdrawn from
the market in November 2017.
The sale of the
product is permitted until March 2018, and greenkeepers then have a further
three months to 5 June 2018 to use up all stocks.
Bayer will be
running a series of 'Tech-Talks' in Hall A on stand A46, to explain what the
future of turf pest and disease management will look like as the industry loses
this steadfast chemistry. Dr Colin Mumford will also give a dedicated seminar
on Wednesday 24 January at 10:00 in the Queen's Suite.
BASIS points will be
available for attending both the 'Tech-Talks' and the seminar.
Neil Pettican, Bayer
head of sales for turf and amenity, explains that although a valuable active
ingredient is leaving the market, innovation is ongoing, and the organisation
is working hard to develop new products, both now and into the future.
"We introduced
Exteris Stressgard to the UK market in January 2017. Not only was this a new
active ingredient (AI), but a whole new chemical group, aiding resistance
management," says Neil.
"With the loss
of products, the message is clear: the future of disease control is
preventative, not curative, and greenkeepers need to change their approach,
with resistance management being key to this strategy," he adds.
To help understand
disease prevention, plinths will be displayed on the Bayer stand to showcase
the five stages of Microdochium Patch development.
Neil explains that
resistance management is important but is an area that is often not fully
understood and can be confusing with its complicated science phrases.
"So, the tech
talks are a great "bite-size" learning opportunity to explain some of
the technical terms with an interactive approach."
And as take-home
references, the new Microdochium Patch guide - a must have document in any
greenkeepers' reference library - will be available to pick up free of charge,
and the updated TurfXpert App, which is free to download, will be on show.
Greenkeepers wanting
to know more about the future of disease management, in particular 'life after
iprodione' should visit the Bayer stand (A46) at BTME, where the Turf Solutions
Team will be on hand to answer any questions.
