BTME profile: Bayer

By Alistair January 18, 2019 06:37 Updated

As greenkeepers are feeling the pressure of curative fungicides disappearing from the market, Bayer will be showcasing how a preventative and integrated approach can help overcome disease threats at BTME this year.

The Turf Solutions Team will be guiding visitors through an interactive turf ‘canopy’ tour. The tour will cover five key areas of an integrated approach to preventative microdochium patch control and those that complete the tour will be rewarded with a BIGGA CPD point.

“Ninety per cent of golf courses suffer with microdochium patch annually, so we hope this learning opportunity can help many members of the industry,” says Steve Bishop. “Preventative treatment will soon be the only option to control disease, as more curative fungicides are being taken off the market. However, preventative measures only work if they are put in place early enough. Without curative treatments there is no control once the disease is established and the chemical options are severely limited.

“The early stages of microdochium patch can be very difficult to spot, so we’ll provide tips and guidance to help identify the very first signs and symptoms of upcoming infections.

“Moving through the stand, the next stage looks at biological and cultural controls highlighting the importance of non-chemical practices as part of an integrated disease management programme.

“Key cultural controls are examined such as the importance of monitoring the weather, which is a feature of the free to download Bayer TurfXpert app. The different turf fungicide families and active ingredients are also explained here, to highlight the importance of rotating fungicide groups.

“The penultimate section focuses on turf specific formulations, which ensures preventatively applied fungicide treatments target the correct area of the plant and maximise control.

“We’ll demonstrate the importance of turf specific formulations in not just delivering the disease control but additional plant health benefits as well.”

The journey finishes with a preview of the new product that will be launched later this year.

“We’re always working hard to bring new innovative formulations to the market, with this being the second new active ingredient we’ve launched in the last two years.