Not overlooking the significant risks posed by powdery mildew, Takumi SC has been a key factor for successful disease control strategies in ornamental crops.
However, following on from this success, it’s important not to get complacent.
Building on what worked well this season, and thinking ahead now to control programmes for the next growing cycle, can all help to protect against the expected risk of powdery mildew during 2018.
Powdery mildew pressure
The 2017 season brought moderate pressure across the sectors. In particular, higher pressure was reported in tomatoes and niche ornamentals, such as honeysuckle and dahlias, which was mainly due to high temperatures in late spring and summer.
However, as warm and wet summers become more commonplace in the UK, and with a limited number of actives available to some sectors, this is only likely to increase.
Therefore, implementing a robust integrated control strategy, which includes alternating actives to provide flexibility during the season, as well as supporting anti-resistance strategies, is vital.
With EAMU’s issued for the use of Takumi SC on tomatoes, strawberries, ornamentals and pumpkins, this offers growers another tool to form part of a flexible integrated approach to powdery mildew control.
