CRD has issued an EAMU for the use of Bayer fungicide Luna Sensation (fluopyram + trifloxystrobin) to control Botrytis and Sclerotinia on outdoor and indoor lettuce.
Lettuce bottom rots caused by Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum are serious diseases of outdoor and protected lettuce. They cause significant losses, especially in outdoor crops during the early and late parts of the season when conditions are damp, and in autumn/winter protected crops.
BLSA technical director David Norman submitted the industry support document for this EAMU. In it he says: “The outdoor lettuce crop in the UK is produced on around 6,000 hectares with a total output value of around £130 million and the protected lettuce crop adds a further £17 million. Losses due to bottom rots from Botrytis and Sclerotinia are highly significant at 10-15% per annum, worth £13-20 million to the industry.
“The lettuce industry needs additional fungicides for the control of these diseases. The addition of Luna Sensation will bring a new active and combination of actives which will help to improve control and increase product choice for lettuce growers. This will also help to reduce residues and the initiation and spread of fungicide resistance. For these reasons the BLSA strongly supported the EAMU for Luna Sensation in lettuce.”
The authorisation permits a maximum of one treatment per crop, a maximum individual dose of 0.8 L/ha and a pre-harvest interval of 7 days.
Bayer’s campaign manager horticulture Tim Lacey expects it will set the new standard for Botrytis and Sclerotinia control in lettuce: “Luna Sensation is a co-formulation of new generation SDHI active fluopyram and strobilurin fungicide trifloxystrobin. It’s a very flexible product for integrated disease control programmes, has built-in resistance management and a short pre-harvest interval.”
For more information on this EAMU refer to the CRD pesticides database https://secure.pesticides.gov.uk/offlabels/search.asp
