A new, phosphite-based fungicide is promising to fight Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat and barley. Verdesian Life Sciences‘ fungicide, Fungi-Phite® Cereals, is recommended for use in tandem with triazole fungicides that are currently labeled and widely used for suppression of FHB by grain producers.
From an economic standpoint, FHB is one of most devastating cereal diseases, being responsible for significant grain yield and quality losses on farms in at least 18 states. The mycotoxins or vomitoxins, collectively called DON, pose a serious threat to the health of humans and livestock when ingested.
Food industries throughout the U.S. incur losses from the cost of dealing with the toxin-contaminated grain that often accompanies FHB infection. Combined losses to all steps in the food system are difficult to estimate, but the cost at the farm gate alone is estimated to exceed 9 billion dollars since 1990.
“The addition of Fungi-Phite Cereals to the triazole fungicides helps provide an added layer of protection from DON,” said Ryan Bond, Ph.D., vice president of marketing and technical development for Verdesian Life Sciences. “Fungi-Phite Cereals, while it has no direct effect on FHB, it can suppress the expression of DON from the Fusarium.”
Verdesian officials say there are no other phosphite fungicides available in the cereals market, and the new product’s unique formulation makes it well suited for broad tank-mix compatibility.