Foliar and soilborne diseases constantly attack peanut plants and reduce yield. Growers must carefully weigh their fungicide choices to maximize both their yields and profits. Provost fungicide from Bayer CropScience, which recently received EPA registration, can make an immediate positive impact on growers’ bottom lines.

“We have every indication that Provost will be the new standard in peanut disease protection,” said Randy Myers, Provost product manager, Bayer CropScience. “More protection means more peanuts. Provost controls all of the major foliar and soilborne diseases, and it even suppresses Cylindrocladium Black Rot.”

University trials in 2004 and 2005 showed Provost programs consistently out-yielding other programs.

Provost excels when disease pressure is highest, Myers said. It controls early leafspot, late leafspot, white mold, rust, web blotch and Rhizoctonia limb rot. It also has the greatest activity of any current peanut fungicide on CBR.

“This aggregate protection adds up to more than just a few pounds of peanuts per acre,” Myers said. “We’re talking about a quarter of a ton improvement per acre over some other treatments.”

Some fields will see larger or smaller gains, depending on yield potential and weather patterns. Still, Provost gives everyone a chance for consistently higher yields year-in, year-out, Myers said.

With flexible use rates — 7 ounces per acre to up to 10.7 ounces per acre — peanut growers also have options for improved control in fields with a history of high disease pressure or during abnormally wet periods. Provost contains no strobilurin component, which makes it a good fit for resistance management programs because it can be rotated with products containing strobilurins.

Growers interested in learning more about Provost fungicide should visit www.BayerCropScienceUS.com or talk to their local Bayer CropScience sales representative.