Aug 1, 2019
‘A new class’ of fungicide attacks fruit diseases

ProBlad Verde is a  new biochemical fungicide that leverages the naturally occurring BLAD polypeptide for a multi-site mode of action that controls fungal diseases on fruit.

“ProBlad Verde has proven to be a strong biological fungicide for fruit and other crops, demonstrating performance better than or equal to industry-standard traditional fungicides in over five years of field trials,” said Sym-Agro President Peter Bierma. “The technology is so revolutionary that a new FRAC group code, ‘BM 01’, was created for ProBlad Verde’s active ingredient.”

Working on contact, tissue absorption and having translaminar properties, ProBlad Verde is able to bind to the fungal chitin structures, disturbing the cell walls and cell membrane, and enters into the fungus cell. This action starts a chain of events that disrupts nutrient absorption, ends cellular reproduction and ultimately destroys the fungal cell, all within eight hours of contact. The result is quick, reliable disease control that meets or exceeds established standards.

What makes ProBlad Verde unique is that unlike other contact fungicides, it quickly absorbs into treated plant tissue and has shown translaminar properties. The result is up to 7 days of reach-back activity and up to 14 days of disease prevention. When applied close to harvest, this protection helps produce resist fungal attack during shipping and storage.

The recent organic approval makes this highly effective fungicide available as a tool for organic fruit growers. Field trials have demonstrated efficacy on a broad spectrum of difficult-to-control diseases such as botrytis, powdery mildew, white mold, gummy stem, and others. In addition, the novel mode of action means that it will be an excellent tool for resistance management for several important diseases.

Easily incorporated into existing programs and suitable for resistance management, ProBlad Verde fungicide recently obtained OMRI organic listing, is MRL exempt and has a one-day pre-harvest interval and four-hour re-entry interval. Ecotoxicology studies for regulatory compliance have shown that ProBlad Verde has minimal toxicity to adult bees, bee larvae, beneficial parasitic wasps and predatory mites.

ProBlad Verde is effective on a wide range of commercial crops including strawberries, grapes, almonds and tomatoes. The recent label expansion includes stone fruit, pome fruit, cucurbits, fruiting vegetables and hops. Additional crop uses are expected in the next 12 months. Apply it up to five times per season at labeled rates.

For more information on ProBlad Verde fungicide or any of Sym-Agro’s products,  contact [email protected].




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