When Prices Tighten, Smart Disease Management Pays Off
(Sponsored) Following a bumper apple and pear crop in 2025, growers are faced with low crop prices and are scrutinizing input costs for the 2026 season. According to Kendall Johnson, Ph.D., technical sales support with UPL, one area where cuts could create negative consequences to crop quality and yield is disease management.
“Diseases like powdery mildew, scab and fire blight are capable of early infections and can quickly limit an orchard’s production and profit potential. Powdery mildew and scab are also capable of reinfection throughout the season, creating additional stress for trees that may be fending off other disease, insect and environmental threats,” Johnson said.
That makes the investment in a season-long disease management plan critical. But for it to pay off, it has to be effective. Johnson says that means integrating biosolutions and conventional fungicides with different modes of action.
“This also gives growers more options and flexibility when building a plan that works for their orchards and their bottom lines,” Johnson added. “UPL provides a broad portfolio of sustainable biosolutions and proven conventional fungicides to protect apple and pear trees during key development stages.”
Start the season with the future of pome protection
Early protection against diseases helps ensure each bud forms a bloom and sets the fruit. “Starting with a novel mode of action, like Kinoprol® active ingredient found in Axios® 20 SC fungicide, provides pome growers with advanced protection against diseases like powdery mildew and scab,” Johnson said.
As the only fungicide in FRAC Group 52, Axios 20 SC moves systemically throughout the plant to deliver preventative activity that reduces disease development while also providing lasting residual. With no known cross-resistance to other fungicide groups, Axios 20 SC enables growers to neutralize the impact of early-season diseases while offering an effective rotational solution for commonly used fungicides in FRAC Groups 3, 7 and 11.
UPLalso offers rotational options for powdery mildew control, such as Procure® 480SC fungicide and Ph-D® biofungicide. “Procure 480 SC contains a unique triazole that provides both preventative and curative control of powdery mildew and other in- season diseases,” Johnson shared. “Ph-D is a biological fungicide that performs like a conventional fungicide against powdery mildew and other tough diseases. It is also an excellent rotational partner as the only FRAC Group 19 fungicide.”
For fire blight control, Kasumin® 2L bactericide provides a unique mode of action that creates a protective layer against plant bacteria and fungi. The only bactericide in FRAC Group 24, Kasumin 2L serves as an effective resistance management tool and delivers excellent control of streptomycin-resistant strains of fire blight.
“Your local UPL representative is a great resource when customizing a disease management program,” Johnson noted. “I encourage growers to reach out to their representative or visit uplcorp.com/us to learn more about UPL’s pome portfolio.”
To learn more about UPL, visit https://www.upl-ltd.com/
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