VELISTA now registered in Australia

Paul Jackson (Business Manager, Turf & Landscape, Syngenta) is excited to introduce VELISTA Turf Fungicide to the Australian turf market. VELISTA is a powerful broad spectrum fungicide that can be used all year round. It control the major turfgrass diseases from Anthracnose in Bentgrass to Spring Dead Spot in Couchgrass. VELISTA represents a new mode-of-action for turf management in Australia and is an excellent resistance management tool.

The active ingredient in VELISTA is penthiopyrad which has proven in Australia and overseas to be a versatile fungicide controlling a number of leaf, crown and root diseases in greatly varying crops. Turf managers are currently heavily reliant on the Qol or Strobilurin, Group 11 fungicides such as HERITAGE MAXX and, whilst this group of fungicides currently offer robust control, overuse of fungicides in Group 11 may lead to resistance and poor levels of control. VELISTA is a Group 7 SDHI fungicide and offers an excellent rotational partner to help minimise any resistance risks and therefore extend the usable life of many existing and future chemistries.

The seven diseases listed as targets for VELISTA Turf Fungicide are Dollar Spot, Brown Patch, Spring Dead Spot, Anthracnose, Curvularia Leaf Spot, Helminthosporium Disease and Red Thread. These diseases exist Australia wide and VELISTA can be used preventatively when conditions favour disease development or at higher doses for curative control.

VELISTA is a water dispersible granule (WDG) which allows for easy mixing and application to turf. Importantly VELISTA does not exhibit any growth retardation properties to turf grass and has shown no phytotoxicity in Australian and US trials. It can be used in the middle of summer without any threat of burning or slowing of turf grass growth. Apply Spring, Summer or Autumn. Season to season, VELISTA makes rotation easy.