Sipcam Nichino's multisite fungicide is among the most effective for controlling Asian rust

Used in strategies to control soybean rust and in the management of resistance to the fungus that causes the disease (Phakopsora pachirhizi), the fungicide Echo, from Sipcam Nichino Brasil, appears at the top among the best-evaluated products in its category in Network Trials of the 2020-21 harvest. The first time it was included in the study, the Italian-Japanese company's fungicide outperformed eleven other products evaluated.

Formulated with chlorothalonil, Echo showed 62% control of the disease, compared to a severity of 62,8% in the control, according to the company. According to Sipcam Nichino, among 12 multisite fungicides tested in the harvest trials, Echo had better results than ten products.

To carry out the tests, 15 research sites were established, considering three to four fungicide applications, at intervals of 14 days. According to agricultural engineer Sérgio Camargo, from the market development area at Sipcam Nichino Brasil, the average productivity delivered by the Echo fungicide reached 53,2 bags per hectare, or 11,1 bags per hectare more than the control. The product exceeded the average of the other 2,14 treatments by 10 bags per hectare, according to Camargo.

According to the agronomist, the Echo fungicide is described as a contact product with protective action, indicated for the preventive control of diseases in different crops. In soybeans, Echo is also recommended in the management of diseases downy mildew (Peronospora manchurica) and septoria (septoria glycines).

“This is a highly effective solution for managing fungicide resistance. This practice is increasingly necessary, given the loss of efficiency of certain molecules in controlling the disease”, adds Camargo.

The increase in resistance of the soybean rust fungus to so-called systemic products, by the way, has boosted the market for multisite fungicides. Data from the Spark Intelligence Strategic consultancy shows that these inputs generated R$ 2,1 billion in the country in the 2020-21 harvest, a performance 23% above the 2019-20 period. According to Spark, between the 18-19 and 19-20 harvests, protectors had already advanced 46% in sales, to R$1,75 billion.

Fezan Gold: The conclusion of the Network Trials for the 2020-21 harvest brought more good news to Sipcam Nichino: its Fezan Gold fungicide was positioned among the 'premium' products with the best performance, in addition to the most favorable cost-benefit ratio, in the control of rust, compared to 13 other inputs. According to the company, Fezan Gold also stood out in the evaluations for being the most effective in controlling cercospora, another disease of economic importance for soybean farming, in the Mato Grosso region.