You’ve got your seed, and now it’s time to get that seed into the ground. With so many distinct options for canola seed treatments, do you know what your seed treatment is protecting against and for how long it’ll do the job?
BrettYoung Canola Hybrid Base Seed Treatments #
BrettYoung canola hybrids have a base treatment of Helix® Saltro® with optional add-on treatments of Fortenza®, Fortenza Advanced, and BUTEO® start.
Helix Saltro combines the strengths of five different fungicides to protect your canola plants from soil-borne, air-borne, and seed-borne diseases, while Thiamethoxam protects against flea beetles. ADEPIDYN® is the active of Saltro, which is exceptionally good at protecting canola from airborne blackleg, and works alongside the blackleg resistance genetics of the canola hybrid.
“Helix Saltro is our base as it includes protection against striped and crucifer flea beetles and seedling diseases like Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, Pythium, and seedling disease complex,” said BrettYoung Agronomic and Regulatory Services Manager, Justine Cornelsen. “The addition of ADEPIDYN provides that protection at the critical window for blackleg disease development.”
The diversity of fungicide actives helps to ensure levels of protection no matter the growing conditions, as different seedling diseases thrive in different environments. Cold, damp soils favour Pythium species, while loose, cold, dry, and well-worked soils favour Rhizoctonia solani, and wet, heavy soils favour Fusarium species.
Soil-borne pathogens can sneak through the fungicide seed treatments when seed sits beneath the soil surface for an extended period without germinating, or it has germinated and takes a long time to reach sunlight. That’s why Cornelsen said it’s best to have seed placed into a warm, moist seedbed to allow for quick and uniform germination.
“The quicker the plant reaches into the leaf stages the better, as the root and hypocotyl tissue harden to minimize seedling disease stress,” she said. “But also, the plant has moved past the damaging flea beetle feeding stage.”
Once the plants push through the 2nd leaf stage, they typically can outgrow the damage from flea beetles but actively scouting and assessing feeding damage is crucial for staying on top of the situation. Cornelsen added it’s also important to remember some flea beetle feeding needs to occur to allow the beetles to ingest some of the insecticides from the seed treatment.
The Add-Ons #
BrettYoung also offers Fortenza, Fortenza Advanced, and BUTEO start as add-on seed treatment options.
Fortenza Advanced gives growers’ protection from flea beetle and cutworm damage with the combination of insecticides sulfoxaflor and cyantraniliprole.
Fortenza is just the cyantraniliprole ingredient, which provides cutworm control.
BUTEO start consists of flupyradifurone, a group 4D insecticide, that provides protection against flea beetles. The active has rapid uptake and systemic translocation from cotyledon to leaf margins, which is then ingested by the beetles.
These seed treatments work well when the canola stand has a chance to thrive. Best management practices for a quick germination of canola will help alleviate stressors placed on the performance of seed treatments. Always refer to product labels and your provincial guide to crop protection.
Helix Saltro: Thiamethoxam, difenoconazole, metalaxyl-M, fludioxonil, sedaxane and ADEPIDYN®
