The Environmental Protection Agency has approved registration for DuPont Lumisena fungicide seed treatment. Lumisena is the latest in the seed applied technology portfolio for the company, offering Phytophthora control in soybeans and downy mildew in sunflowers. It’s the most advanced control of Phytophthora in soybeans since mefenoxam and metalaxyl in 1979.

“The true benefit in using Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment is in how it works,” said Mick Messman, director, DuPont Seed Treatment Enterprise. “Oxathiapiprolin, the active ingredient, controls pathogens during multiple stages of their life cycle. The result is healthier plants that emerge quickly and develop strong root masses.”

In DuPont research trials, soybean seed protected with Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment, which has a favorable environmental profile, had 32 percent less Phytophthora sojae incidence than untreated seed. Additionally, university research trials showed soybeans treated with the active ingredient in Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment provided outstanding protection against Phytophthora compared with conventional seed treatment fungicides.

For sunflowers, DuPont trials showed seed treated with Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment had 76 to 96 percent less downy mildew compared to untreated seed and 20 to 41 percent less downy mildew compared to conventional fungicide seed treatments. Likewise, university trials showed sunflower seed treated with the active ingredient in Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment produced plants with significantly less downy mildew versus existing fungicide seed treatments.

The product’s ability to control pathogens at an extremely low rate of use gives it a favorable environmental profile.