Tank mix flexibility for managing diseases and weeds
Golf

At the end of the year, turf managers around the country will reflect on how well their turf surfaces performed and start planning for the upcoming year. In recent times an increasing concern for the industry is skilled manpower, so when planning your control programmes for 2022, it’s wise to consider tank mix combinations to reduce the number of applications and allow you to focus manpower on other areas of your course.

Late summer/early autumn is the time to apply preventative treatments to control Spring Dead Spot (SDS). In Australia the primary casual agents for SDS are Ophiosphaerella namari and Ophiosphaerella korrae with differences in activity at different soil temperatures, so you will need 2 split applications. Monitor soil temperature at a 50 mm depth and when it is in the range of 20 – 25°C, apply your first application of POSTERITY® Turf Fungicide which will target O.  korrae. Generally, this application will be around February and your second application of POSTERITY® will fall in March (or 28 days after the first application). This coincides with soil temperatures in the range of 15 – 20°C and will target O.  namari which has an active growth rate between 10 – 20°C.   

By mixing BARRICADE® Herbicide in the either application you can get ahead of winter weeds at the same time as preventing SDS getting into your fairways.  BARRICADE® is a pre-emergent herbicide with a proven track record in Australia and is particularly useful in breaking weed cycles and preventing establishment of hard to control turf weeds.  For example, predicting when Poa annua will commence germination is complex and no two seasons are the same. Poa can have an unpredictable and lengthy window of germination – whilst there is a concentration of germination around the transition from summer into autumn there is usually a continuum of germination for many months. BARRICADE® with its long residual (up to 6 months) can cater for this broad germination window and allows application to occur well in advance of germination without compromising your late season coverage.  

Poa Annua Untreated left Treated BARRICADE right

POSTERITY® is the newest member of the Syngenta turf fungicide range. This powerful SDHI fungicide has been priced cost-effectively making it a great option for larger areas like fairways and sportsfields. What makes POSTERITY® different to other SDHI’s on the market today is its affinity to accumulate within the wax and tissue of the plant providing longevity of control. POSTERITY® has a low solubility level which means it is not transported as readily through the xylem as happens with other SDHI’s. When this movement from the target site occurs, the potency at the target site is reduced and you will get less control. POSTERITY® stays where you place it and will protect your turf for up to 28 days.

Spring Dead Spot Graph Posterity

Both POSTERITY® and BARRICADE® are exempt from poison scheduling meaning less PPE requirements.  They can also be tank mixed together, as mentioned earlier, so you can target both diseases and weeds with a single pass.  

Always read product labels and use only as directed.