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| Title: | Producers of Ontario leafy Brassica greens receive urgently needed emergency use registration for downy mildew |
| Category: | TOP STORIES |
| Date Added: | 2009-10-02 |
| Author: | Jim Chaput |
| Article: | The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of an emergency use registration for RAMPART Fungicide (potassium salts of phosphorous acid) for suppression of downy mildew on leafy Brassica greens (crop subgroup 5B) in Ontario. Crop subgroup 5B includes crops such as mustard greens, bok choy, pak choy, yow choy, gai choy, collards, kale, mizuna, mustard spinach and rape greens. Rampart Fungicide was registered under the emergency use program in late 2008 in Canada for control of late blight as a post-harvest use on potatoes. A full registration submission for Rampart Fungicide is also underway by UAP Canada. Because of a severe downy mildew outbreak on leafy Brassicas in Ontario combined with a low supply of registered fungicides in eastern North America an emergency use for RAMPART Fungicide was submitted by OMAFRA and the Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario (FVGO). Ontario leafy Brassica producers have identified downy mildew as a top disease priority for several years. Although there are a few registered downy mildew fungicides, the supplies of the key fungicides were used up very quickly in 2009 due to widespread disease outbreaks on several major crops. Canadian leafy Brassica producers do not have access to as many products to manage downy mildew including products like Rampart Fungicide. This represents a significant area of concern in the current pest control product technology gap as identified by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) technical working group on pesticides. Without access to Rampart Fungicide, the Ontario leafy Brassica crops industry faced the risk of very serious losses to downy mildew in 2009 and in fact the risk of serious losses remains critical. The emergency use registration of Rampart Fungicide will help in the interim to manage the current downy mildew outbreak; however management of downy mildew requires a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and resistance management program with access to all available tools and strategies. The following is provided as general information only. Users should consult the complete label before using Rampart Fungicide. Rampart Fungicide can be used for suppression of downy mildew on leafy Brassicas in Ontario until December 31, 2009 only. Rampart can be applied at a rate of 3 - 7 L product per hectare in 300 – 500 L water per hectare. Use the higher rate when disease pressure is severe. Apply at two to three week intervals and more frequently if disease pressure is severe, however do not apply at less than three- day intervals. A pre-harvest interval of zero days is permitted for Rampart Fungicide on leafy Brassicas. Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the Rampart Fungicide label carefully. Rampart Fungicide should be used in an IPM program and in rotation with other management strategies to adequately manage resistance. We wish to thank Dr. Jennifer Allen, OMAFRA, Guelph and the FVGO for helping to prepare the submission and the rationale documents on behalf of Ontario leafy Brassica producers. We also wish to thank the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Loveland Products Inc. and UAP Canada Inc. for their support of this registration and the personnel of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency for evaluating and approving this important pest management tool. For copies of the emergency use label contact Dr. Jennifer Allen, OMAFRA Vegetable Crop Specialist at Guelph (519) 826-4963, Jim Chaput, OMAFRA, Guelph (519) 826-3539 or contact UAP Canada Inc. at 1-800-265-4624 or www.uap.ca. Jim Chaput is OMAFRA’s Minor Use Coordinator based in Guelph, ON. |
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