In the last years, sunflower as a crop has become increasingly important among farmers in Serbia. Today, the area under sunflower is about 40 per cent higher than 10 years ago.
There are several reasons for this increase, and among them, the most significant are the emergence of new generations of high-yielding sunflower hybrids, genetic resistance to the main diseases, favourable environmental conditions for cultivation, lower production costs and a good grain commodity price.
On the other hand, the increase in the area under sunflower has led to a reduction in crop rotation, which has resulted in the frequent occurrence of diseases such as Downy Mildew (DM), caused by the fungus species Plasmopara halstedii. Downy mildew is a common sunflower disease that can cause significant yield reduction.
Why is it important to have LumisenaⓇ in the toolbox for farmers in Serbia?
In the last couple of years with cropping area increased and reduced field rotation, new and more aggressive races of downy mildew are starting to cause big problems for sunflower growers in Serbia. The current genetic protection in sunflower hybrids is not effective enough to fully protect the young plants. The plant infestation varies from field to field, and in some cases can go up to 40 percent, leading to a significant yield reduction.
The question is what to do to ensure the safe production of sunflower and enable farmers to achieve satisfaction in the work they do. The answer comes from Corteva™ Agriscience with the revolution in seed treatment technology against downy mildew: Lumisena fungicide.
Why Lumisena?
· This fungicide is very effective against all races of the pathogen Plasmopara halstedii.
· It has a new mode of action with no cross resistance to any existing fungicide.
· It complements genetic resistance.
· It leads to an increased emergence and healthier stand establishment to help secure yields.
· In short, this fungicide is ‘Best in class’.
Treated sunflower seed with this product has become the standard for seed treatment in Serbia. This provides production security for farmers through healthy plants and a preserved crop stand, giving the chance of hybrid genetics to express its yield potential.
Trial results in Serbia, conducted in areas with stronger pressure of DM, show a high efficacy of the product in sunflower protection, over 90 %. The yield loss caused by DM significantly exceeds the cost of seed treatment. Due to this fact, farmers in Serbia now demand that sunflower seeds be treated with our new product.
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