Powdery mildew can be a menace in squash, a high value export crop. Kusabi with only a one day withholding period is a valuable tool in managing the disease.
How growers are protecting the export crop
Kiwis may not be getting their teeth into squash (yet). But there’s a thriving export market for the product and that needs protecting.
Ryan Pierce, UPL NZ Ltd Regional Sales Manager Lower North Island, says in the Hawke’s Bay, in particular, buttercup squash is being grown in quantity for the Japanese market and other countries throughout Asia. Ryan says powdery mildew can be a menace in squash. Caused by the pathogens Sphaerotheca fuliginea and Erysiphe cichoracearum the disease can sometimes cause severe damage to the crop’s leaves. This damage, to the typically large canopies, can mean the squash itself is vulnerable to the sun. Not only that but the plant is potentially starved of the photosynthesis necessary for it to thrive.
Valuable tool against powdery mildew
Introduced by sustainable horticultural product provider UPL, Kusabi gives effective powdery mildew control, and is a valuable tool in helping manage the disease. Ryan says there is no known resistance in New Zealand to pyriofenone, the active in Kusabi.
Pyriofenone works by inhibiting lesion formation, mycelium growth and sporulation, halting powdery mildew infection. “It’s a product with excellent preventative activity. It stops powdery mildew at the onset of the disease.”
Using a strong translaminar action, Kusabi moves through the plant resulting in distribution within the leaf surface and from one side of the leaf to the other. Ryan says another of Kusabi’s strengths is its superior vapour activity, which ensures the active reaches all areas, which could be infected by powdery mildew and where the plant most needs protection. “And, that’s combined with a withholding period of just one day, which is exactly what you need for flexibility around harvest.”
Kusabi is compatible with super spreaders including Du-Wett.
For more information, click here: Kusabi and Du-Wett.
