Published on 26/01/2022
But no-one said it would be easy. Crop protection company Adama New Zealand has been at the forefront of the agriculture professionals surrounding the notoriously technical crop with supporting products, expertise and advice.
Dunedin-based Adama commercial manager Damian MacKenzie says Adama’s ‘whole crop’ approach combined with farmer and technical advisor vigilance has made a real difference.
“We start at the top, quite literally. Custodia, a beet foliar fungicide which we launched just over a year ago, has already proven invaluable and has added to an established beet portfolio of insecticides and herbicides.”
Custodia supports greener, healthier, and more vigorous leaves by protecting against the devastating effects of major pathogens Cercospora leaf spot, rust, and powdery mildew.
Cercospora leaf spot has resulted in reported crop losses of up to 50 per cent, while powdery mildew can be a major issue in humid conditions.
Good beet leaf production adds to the dry matter of a crop and provides grazing stock with protein, phosphorous and calcium. MacKenzie says the protein from healthy leaves also helps provide balance in grazing animals’ diets, reducing the risk of metabolic issues. “It will not be enough on its own, but it definitely does help.”
Custodia has also created a major feed budgeting opportunity by reducing the beet foliar fungicide withholding period from 42 days for other products to just 28 days, a real advantage at a time when feed is often critically short.
MacKenzie says Custodia dovetails particularly well with North Otago farmers’ feed management requirements. “This past season we saw good uptake of the product by farmers growing beet for grazing and very successful results. It really seems to suit their needs.”
The key window to boost beet leaf growth is January, February and March. This is also the period when disease will typically begin to appear in the crop.
It is important to keep a close eye on beet when conditions favour disease and Custodia should be applied at the first signs of disease. It can be reapplied after 14 days if needed.
Adama’s comprehensive beet protection programme also includes Mavrik Aquaflo Insecticide (Mavrik), which offers good control of major beet pests Nysius and cutworm while having minimal impact on beneficial insects foraging in beets or surrounding crops.
Complementary beet herbicides, based around the use of a robust pre-emergence spray with a follow up to control any subsequent weeds, are spearheaded by Goltix Gold.
Goltix Gold has proven efficacy in particularly hard-to-control beet weeds including fathen and wireweed. Other compatible herbicide products in the beet programme include Torero, Ethosat, and Rifle.
For more information on spray timings and how to increase returns on beet, visit www. adama.com or talk to your local Adama commercial manager.