Build firm foundation for Botrytis control on strawberries

To be effective, Botrytis control for strawberries must start at flowering. East Malling Research fruit pathologist, Angela Berrie advises; “flowering is the main time when Botrytis gets in”.

This season Bayer CropScience’s horticultural specialist Peter Newman is keen to remind growers; “Flowering is the critical time for action. Establishing a firm foundation with Teldor (fenhexamid), followed by a robust alternating fungicide programme, allows the use of bio-controls close to harvest.”

Angela Berrie underlines this advice; “starting early with Botrytis control using Teldor gives a good foundation to control this disease and produce quality fruit with minimal risk of of residues. Use Teldor early and then use bio-controls near to harvest.”

Botrytis has the potential to develop resistance to new fungicides relatively quickly, so growers are also advised to pursue a resistance management strategy alternating between botryticides from different classes of chemistry. As an hydroxyanilide, Teldor has a unique chemistry and mode of action making it an ideal alternation partner with products containing an anilide and/or anilinopyrimidine chemical.

“Due to the challenge of the extended flowering period of everbearer varieties, applying Teldor at early flowering maximises protection,” Peter Newman points out. “The duration of the need for protection for everbearers makes Teldor the ideal candidate to use from the start of programmes at first flower (white bud) and then again at intervals in alternation with other products. This fits
well with IPM enabling integration of biocontrols later on.”

Teldor’s product label permits up to four treatments per year and advises that to minimise the likelihood of resistance developing no more than two sprays should be applied consecutively within a programme.