Unishield, an effective multi-site sulphur with Disperss Technology, delivers more uniform spray performance.
New Unishield delivers a more uniform spray performance
For hundreds of years, sulphur-based products have been the backbone of spring powdery mildew prevention programmes in grapes.
An effective multi-site fungicide, sulphur continues to hold its dominant role thanks not just to efficacy but its ability to target multiple metabolic pathways. This makes it difficult for powdery mildew to develop resistance - an ongoing bugbear in vineyards. Powdery mildew is an ever-present threat. It impacts green plant tissue in particular and can seriously impact vines. Yield and quality can suffer, and infected fruit will likely not be accepted by the winery.
Alex Easton, UPL NZ Regional Manager Upper South Island, says while elemental sulphur is an established vineyard workhorse that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. “There are a lot of sulphur products out there. What makes Unishield stand out is its Disperss Technology, which gives uniform, hyper-dispersible granules for enhanced performance. Coverage is more consistent and there’s reduced phytotoxicity, compared with other sulphur products.”
Finely ground with Disperss Technology
Unishield is made of finely ground sulphur particles that primarily range in size from 1 to 6 microns with most particles being 3 microns. In comparison, standard sulphur formulations average 24 microns. Unishield has the same suspendability in hard and soft water with 80% remaining in suspension after one hour. Even after sitting, minimal agitation is needed to re-suspend.
Alex says other advantages for those handling the product are that it produces much less dust and can be measured more accurately. “It pours easily, and it’s safer to handle. It’s also BioGro certified.” He stresses, however, that appropriate PPE should always be worn when handling any sulphur product.
This is an important consideration as vineyards are, by their nature, high spray input, Alex says there can be 12-16 sprays per season. “It’s usually oils to begin with, then the rest of the sprays will likely contain sulphur. To get the most out of those sprays, they need to be focussed on the best inputs.
“Conventional sulphur products can clump, which can be a real issue. The thing about Unishield is that it goes into suspension quickly and stays there. Unishield won’t easily settle out, which means you don’t get that gunk in the bottom of the tank.”
Alex says dust creates multiple problems not least clogged respirators for people handling the product. Another is waste – if the sulphur product is left in the bottom of the tank. In addition to that, there can be the risk of blocked nozzles and, importantly, the uncertainty of not knowing where and whether the sulphur was actually applied, and how evenly.
“With Unishield, you get more bang for your buck, because of that unique formulation and the uniform micron size – which delivers more sulphur to the plant surface. It sounds like a little thing, but it can have a huge impact on a spray programme’s efficacy.”
Alex says so far feedback from viticulturists has been very good. That was following an early, limited release last year. This season will be the first where Unishield is widely available.
Increased performance with adjuvants
Research shows that adding a wetter/spreader significantly increased control compared to sulphur alone. Actiwett, a non-ionic spreader/wetter, maximises the spread and coverage of Unishield on grapes berries for more effective powdery mildew control. Grapes berries are notoriously hard to wet. Actiwett ensures the spray gets to the target and every sulphur droplet will spread and cover further, improving performance, extracting maximum value, and reducing waste and drift.
Alex says application typically starts at budbreak and continue at 14-day intervals as needed.
