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Caceres, mid west of Spain

I want to spray my 950.4 plant with a good systemic fungicide in order to prevent fruit rot after harvest. I plan to do it 1.5 days before.

What I found here is the list that follows:

- Metiram 80%
- Diclofluanida 50%
- Ditianona 75%
- Ziram 72% + bitertanol 4%
- Carbendazima 50%

Which one could be the best for my purpose? I bet for the last one, but don'r really know.

Thank you very much...........Carlos

9/17/2003 1:35:35 PM

[email protected]

Carlos my friend, I really wish I could understand Spanish as well as you do English! Then I would be of more help to you. Been wracking my brain since I got your e-mail earlier this evening. My tech support group was on their way home by then. But they might have had just as much trouble with this list as I am.

You see only 2 of those products are registered for use here in the US.

Ziram is a dithiocarbamate. That might not be bad for what you have in mind. (also used as a bird & rodent repellent if that matters) This group usually is very broad spectrum in it's controll & has fair-good persistance.

Metiran (Polyram from BASF) is an ECBD fungicide. A contact that is very similar to Mancozeb & everyone knows I like it's performance. Broad & long.

While I'm not familiar with it, Euparen (dichlofluanida from Bayer) looks to have very good residual properties too. Also used in Marine bottom paints for it's antifouling properties. Like copper is here. Also in wood preservatives. I might like this one too.

Carbendazin(a in spanish) escapes me entirely. I couldn't even find a translated text reference to look at. I get the feeling it is off-patent which might explain the lack of english propaganda. No more money to be made? I don't know.

I can say that once a pumpkin has made it past basketball size here, I have been very succesful with calcium treatments. We haven't lost a calcium treated pumpkin yet. Though of the 2 not sprayed, both went down before they reached 100"OTT. I have one I thought I was losing up until last week, now all of a sudden it's cracks are drying up & seem to be healing. This treatment is also supposed to help fruit after it's been harvested to last longer. No antifungal properties. So a fungicide is still recommended. But the fruit does seem more durable & elastic.

I hope this helps.

Steve

9/17/2003 9:41:27 PM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Thank you again Steve. I'll spray a Calcium solution today as well.

9/18/2003 12:42:13 AM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

I used Carbendazim for Powdery Mildew this year and it worked on that its also labelled for use against Botrytis.
It is an MBC type spray.What does that mean Steve?

9/18/2003 4:49:15 AM

Hey Steve,
How are you using your calcium? Do you spray the entire plant or just the fruit? Do you also place towels soaked in a calcium solution directly on your pumpkins?
Is it chelated calcium?
Thanks,
Martin

9/18/2003 6:27:49 AM

Udine, Italy

Carlos,
I found that also a mix of Benlate (benomyl) and Ronilan (vinclozolin) is very effective against post harvesting diseases (only fungi).
Paolo

9/18/2003 6:57:23 AM

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Vinclozlin is awesome. Losing residential use label here in US.

Calcium is chelated liquid. Greenflo or Nutrical. Same item. Applying to entire patch through irrigation system weekly now since noting prior success. Was mixing 3 oz per gallon with an organo-silicone surfactant & just applying to the fruit during early tests. This is far more accurate than sprinklers if you have the time & patch space. I got behind on pruning.

More later. Running late.

9/18/2003 8:33:38 AM

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MBC is the abreviation for "Methyl-2-benzimidazole carbamate" of which Carbendazim is a phosphate form.

The benzimidazole fungicides are systemic. This group includes the once popular Benomyl (aka Tersan 1991 & Benlate) & the still available Thiophanate-methyl (T-Storm, Topsin-M, & 3336). A good all around systemic fungicide family that *MUST* be used in rotation with other different types to avoid resistance issues. If the MCB's are known for anything special, it is the fact that many causal pathogens have developed resistance to them.

I have since yesterday discovered a form of Carbendazim that is registered here in the US. It is being used as a micro-injectable for Dutch Elm Disease. I can think of better chemsitries for this task, but some folks are reporting good results.

One more note on Vinclozlin I didn't have time to type this morning. It is one of the longest residual contact fungicides there is. On golf courses we see effective control of some common foliar diseases for up to 28 days. That is unmatched by any other fungicide in it's price range. The only one that comes close is Heritage/Quadris but that's a completely different MOA all togather.

Steve

9/18/2003 7:39:58 PM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

OK, friends. Finnally I sprayed Carbendazim to the plant and to the fruit as well.

Thanks to all the inputs.


Pdta: This morning I awaked doubting whether to cut the fruit or to let it longer on the vine. This is a Hamlet doubt...

PdtaII: Do you realize that in pumpkin business we are always having to choose among several choices? This is a hard sport, men!

9/18/2003 11:53:40 PM

[email protected]

Like life itself Carlos. We are custodians of a living thing. Subject to all that threaten to extinguish life. Especially those invisible living organisms that to live must kill. We can only try to tip the scales in our favor to influence the timing of the inevitable outcome. LOL.

Steve

9/19/2003 8:34:18 AM