Bayer CropScience has announced its latest fungicide chemistry class called fluopyram for the tree, vine, and specialty crops markets in the U.S. “Fluopyram is an exciting product that is the foundation for a new group of Bayer fungicides,” says Herb Young, Bayer fungicide product manager.

“Powdery mildew in grapes is fluopyram's strongest suit,” Young says. “Fluopyram has the potential to provide 100 percent control of powdery mildew.”

About 10 percent of the fluopyram will penetrate the leaf initially. Once in the xylem the remaining 90 percent will diffuse slowly throughout the leaf, Young says.

Tests at a Bayer research station in Fresno showed excellent control of brown rot blossom blight in almonds with fluopyram and Elite or Flint. The same mix offered excellent shot hole control in almonds.

The fluopyram ingredient alone in the trials provided almost complete control of botrytis blight control in pistachios.

Fluopyram is the largest single submission that Bayer has submitted to the EPA. The residue summaries totaled 1,500 pages, all filed electronically, Young says.

The fluopyram crop and disease spectrum includes: almond (brown rot, blossom blight, shot hole); grape (powdery mildew, botrytis); stone fruit (brown rot, powdery mildew); lettuce (lettuce drop, botrytis); strawberry (powdery mildew, botrytis); pistachio (alternaria leaf blight, botrytis); cucurbit (powdery mildew, botrytis); artichoke (powdery mildew); brassica (powdery mildew); pome fruit (powdery mildew, apple and pear scab); bulb (botrytis, alternaria); potato (early blight, black dot, sclerotinia); carrot (alternaria, powdery mildew); and tomato, pepper (powdery mildew).

At press time the trade name for fluopyram was not available.