Biofungicides have historically fit organic farming practices, and now their use is reaching more conventional row-crop operations, according to Jason Ellsworth, organic portfolio manager at Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness.
Ellsworth told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory on Monday that conventional, row-crop farmers are using biofungicides a couple of ways.
In some scenarios, Ellsworth says biofungicides are used as a foundational product prior to when the pathogenic fungi or bacteria shows up, giving plants time to develop the ability to withstand or deter the problem. In this scenario, he notes that farmers sometimes add conventional products, when needed, to create a more robust disease-management program.
Biofungicides also can play a role in mitigating the buildup of resistance by a pest or pathogen to conventional fungicide active ingredients.
“Some of these products will actually give us a yield bump because we’re increasing the plant’s (ability) to fight off the disease,” he says. “In some cases, these products also give us a yield increase, so we get two benefits from that one application.”
Ellsworth’s full discussion on biofungicides is available here:
Biofungicide Now Available for U.S. Row Crops
New Biofungicide Fights White Mold
Marrone Bio Innovations launches new formulation of Regalia biofungicide
