Australian potato growers are the first in the world to access a significant new fungicide Excalia, designed to fight Rhizoctonia solani (black scurf).
Excalia was released by leading agricultural solutions company Sumitomo Chemical Australia at Hort Connections in Melbourne earlier in the month, following extensive Australian trials and a rigorous regulatory process spanning the past decade.
Sumitomo Chemical Australia marketing and business development manager Jock Leys said Excalia has proven to be the best defence against soil borne disease rhizoctonia solani and Yellow sigatoka, a key disease in bananas.
“It takes management of these diseases to a new level,” Mr Leys said.
He said the product generated excitement at Hort Connections from growers in the key potato-growing regions of Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia and he expects a similar reception at the World Potato Congress.
Global product manager for Excalia Takuya Inoue of Sumitomo Chemical Co Japan, joined the team as a special guest to share his insights and knowledge of the product with growers and congress delegates.
Mr Leys says rhizoctonia solani is among a suite of five or six diseases and is widespread across the industry.
“It causes lesions and deforms tubers, which can have a devastating impact on the marketable yield of an important crop for Australia which produces potatoes over some 30,000 hectares,” he said.
“Potato farmers have been getting by until now. We’ve completed three years of in-field screening and trials to ensure its efficacy.
"Growers who’ve tried it have reported a lack of lesions and an improvement in yield, with one in Tasmania citing an increase in 18 tonnes to the hectare above the grower standard fungicide.
Mr Ley said the product is applied as an in-furrow spray at the time of planting.
“Return on investment is high – with increases in economic return many times above the approximate $50 per hectare to put it into the program,” Mr Leys adds.
The latest generation fungicide is synthesised at one of Japan three discovery research centres and shipped to Australia for domestic manufacture, packaging, and distribution.
It is now available in commercial quantities.
Mr Leys says Sumitomo’s attendance at Hort Connections also secured an important Adelaide meeting with the potato team from leading agricultural supplier Elders just before the Congress.
“This is a significant step towards developing and streamlining the distribution of Excalia to Australian potato growers. Our objective is to ensure a smooth supply to the market. Growers are keen to learn more and start using it,” he says.
Sumitomo Chemical Australia also shared news of its US-based subsidiary Valent BioSciences and its acquisition of FBSciences, a recognised leader in biostimulants – signalling Sumitomo Chemical Australia’s foray into marketing biostimulants.
Three new broad-ranging biostimulants – Transit Duo, Zicron and GroMate – were also showcased to delegates from more than 40 countries, alongside EndoPrime, a plant and soil enhancement product. It contains mycorrhizae, a beneficial fungi that naturally exist in soils.
