New Fungicide Looks To Help Sugarbeet Growers Address Resistance

Sugarbeet growers face a lot of challenges year in and year out; extreme heat, water shortages and disease pressures. To help with that final struggle, earlier this year Corteva Agriscience announced the launch of Verpixo.

Britt Beene with Corteva Agriscience noted Verpixo fungicide provides effective control of the industry’s most economically devastating fungal disease; Cercospora Leaf Spot. He added Verpixo is most effective when applied before widespread disease development takes place.

“[Verpixo] is a new mode of action in our toolbox. If you think of our toolbox of all these different products we can use, some of these products we've been using for years and years, it's nice to have a new tool like Verpixo that is actually the technology is derived from a naturally occurring organism in the soil," Beene said. "So it's considered a reduced risk product by the EPA. And so it's nice to have a product that's not only effective, but it's also very safe.”

Beene added Verpixo is a great addition for growers focused on resistance management. He added for a sugarbeet operation to be successful, multiple effective modes of action need to be used, and Verpixo is a unique mode that has yet to be tapped.

"So not only is it naturally based, it's a new mode of action that we can use and implement in our programs to give us more legs out of these different products we're using," said Beene. "And the way I like to explain it to people is that when we look at a product like Verpixo Fungicide being new, it's kind of like a basketball team. It's late in the third quarter. Our starting lineup is tired. They're starting to be not as effective as they used to be. And we need some new legs in the game. And Verpixo Fungicide is new legs for our disease management battle.”

Beene added for best results, apply Verpixo post-row closure and before significant disease buildup starts to take place.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com