Certis’ Cuprokylt has been granted an Extension Authorisation for Minor Use (EAMU) as a fungicide and bactericide for outdoor ornamental plant production, and in particular for the control of Pseudomonas spp. and Xanthomonas spp.
The new Extension Authorisation for Minor Use of Cuprokylt has once again made an essential product available to ornamental growers, enabling them to keep their crops blemish free and their customers happy, says John Adlam, founder of independent horticultural consultants, Dove Associates.
He welcomes the change, explaining that for the ornamental grower, a blemish free plant is fundamental. “It’s not a case of getting less yield or a reduced tonnage, but a sale or not. The plant may be a perfect shape, in full flower at the right time, but if it has a few spots on its leaves, that renders it totally unsaleable.
“Keeping one step ahead of diseases to achieve that blemish free status, balanced against the need for a responsible use of crop protection products, requires simple but effective controls,” he explains. “Cuprokylt ticks all the right boxes. With a limited range of existing controls for bacterial diseases, Cuprokylt is a product with excellent contact properties that will control active bacteria on leaves and stems.”
The EAMU for Cuprokylt allows growers to apply a maximum dose of 3 kg/ha (or 3 g of product/litre of water), up to six times per year. A 10 day interval must also be observed between treatments with Cuprokylt.
A further requirement of the EAMU is for nursery workers to wear gloves. Commenting on this John says, “The use of gloves required for subsequent handling of the plant is a safeguard for nursery workers, which for most staff makes no difference, as they already wear them when working with crops.
“The ornamentals industry welcomes back this valuable product which, for many will control bacterial diseases safely, effectively and cheaply,” he concludes.