Rhizoctonia Limits Profitability
While multiple pathogens can attack sugarbeets, Rhizoctonia is a frequent yield-limiter, with the potential to infect during root stages from emergence through harvest. Rhizoctonia can live for months, even years, undisturbed underground until revived by the right soil conditions and a susceptible plant host.
Rhizoctonia root and crown rot, caused by the fungus, Rhizoctonia solani, can devastate the potential yield and quality of a sugarbeet crop. Even low levels of Rhizoctonia infection can decrease sugar content, and as Rhizoctonia infection increases, sugar content decreases.
Trevor Dale, territory account manager for Valent U.S.A., recommends Excalia® Fungicide for being highly effective against Rhizoctonia. An SDHI fungicide, it moves quickly into the plant for both powerful and long-lasting disease control and has a low use rate for easy in-field handling, too.
Scouting for root and crown rot
Scouting for disease symptoms multiple times throughout the season can help growers understand disease risk and manage any sign of damage. Because infestation levels can vary within a field, scouting in multiple locations in each field also is critical to proper diagnosis and treatment.
Infection can begin as soon as the seed is planted and remains a risk until beets are processed. Preventative measures, including an early fungicide application, can help manage the likelihood of infection.
As the season progresses, growers should dig into the soil to assess root health. If Rhizoctonia infection is present, black or dark brown lesions may be visible on roots. Spotty stands and wilting leaves are potential symptoms of crown rot, which typically develops at or near the soil line. After harvest, diseased beets can spread the soilborne pathogen throughout the pile, potentially reducing post-harvest quality.
Dale stresses the importance of storing healthy, disease-free beets. “Rhizoctonia is not a direct post-harvest pathogen, but when you start with clean, healthier beets going to storage, they stay healthier. They are not as predisposed to other post-harvest pathogens that may cause problems and reduce the post-harvest life of a storage pile,” Dale says.
Get fast, effective disease control
Excalia is highly effective against the pathogen, Rhizoctonia solari, that causes root and crown rot. As a FRAC Group 7 fungicide, Excalia offers sugarbeet growers an effective low use rate product that provides an alternative to FRAC Group 11 fungicides such as azoxystrobin. In field trials across the upper Midwest, Excalia outperformed the standard treatment of azoxystrobin fungicides and the untreated control.
Excalia may be applied in broadcast and banded applications, both with especially low use rates. In broadcast applications, Excalia’s rate is two fluid ounces per acre. In banded applications, Excalia’s application rate is just 0.023 – 0.027 fluid ounces per 1,000 row feet with six to seven-inch bands.
“Interestingly, some trials show that Excalia plots resulted in the greatest sugar content, likely because of Rhizoctonia control. This is impactful for co-ops and growers,” says Jill Calabro, Valent U.S.A. product development manager for fungicides.
Optimal disease control is achieved when Excalia is applied in a regularly scheduled spray program, prior to infection.
Plan to apply Excalia after emergence, between the two and eight-leaf stage. Excalia is systemic and quickly absorbed into plant tissue, providing translaminar activity and movement upward through the plant.
Excalia is available through retailers across the region. Contact information for area retailers and your local sales representative is available on Valent.com. To learn more about Excalia, visit Valent.com/Excalia, or on the Field Advice podcast.
Products That Work, From People Who Care® | valent.com | 800-6-VALENT (682-5368)
Always read and follow label instructions.
Products that Work, From People Who Care is a registered trademark of Valent U.S.A. LLC.
Excalia is a trademark of Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. ©2023 Valent U.S.A. LLC. All rights reserved.
Rhizoctonia root and crown rot, caused by the fungus, Rhizoctonia solani, can devastate the potential yield and quality of a sugarbeet crop. Even low levels of Rhizoctonia infection can decrease sugar content, and as Rhizoctonia infection increases, sugar content decreases.
Trevor Dale, territory account manager for Valent U.S.A., recommends Excalia® Fungicide for being highly effective against Rhizoctonia. An SDHI fungicide, it moves quickly into the plant for both powerful and long-lasting disease control and has a low use rate for easy in-field handling, too.
Scouting for root and crown rot
Scouting for disease symptoms multiple times throughout the season can help growers understand disease risk and manage any sign of damage. Because infestation levels can vary within a field, scouting in multiple locations in each field also is critical to proper diagnosis and treatment.
Infection can begin as soon as the seed is planted and remains a risk until beets are processed. Preventative measures, including an early fungicide application, can help manage the likelihood of infection.
As the season progresses, growers should dig into the soil to assess root health. If Rhizoctonia infection is present, black or dark brown lesions may be visible on roots. Spotty stands and wilting leaves are potential symptoms of crown rot, which typically develops at or near the soil line. After harvest, diseased beets can spread the soilborne pathogen throughout the pile, potentially reducing post-harvest quality.
Dale stresses the importance of storing healthy, disease-free beets. “Rhizoctonia is not a direct post-harvest pathogen, but when you start with clean, healthier beets going to storage, they stay healthier. They are not as predisposed to other post-harvest pathogens that may cause problems and reduce the post-harvest life of a storage pile,” Dale says.
Get fast, effective disease control
Excalia is highly effective against the pathogen, Rhizoctonia solari, that causes root and crown rot. As a FRAC Group 7 fungicide, Excalia offers sugarbeet growers an effective low use rate product that provides an alternative to FRAC Group 11 fungicides such as azoxystrobin. In field trials across the upper Midwest, Excalia outperformed the standard treatment of azoxystrobin fungicides and the untreated control.
Excalia may be applied in broadcast and banded applications, both with especially low use rates. In broadcast applications, Excalia’s rate is two fluid ounces per acre. In banded applications, Excalia’s application rate is just 0.023 – 0.027 fluid ounces per 1,000 row feet with six to seven-inch bands.
“Interestingly, some trials show that Excalia plots resulted in the greatest sugar content, likely because of Rhizoctonia control. This is impactful for co-ops and growers,” says Jill Calabro, Valent U.S.A. product development manager for fungicides.
Optimal disease control is achieved when Excalia is applied in a regularly scheduled spray program, prior to infection.
Plan to apply Excalia after emergence, between the two and eight-leaf stage. Excalia is systemic and quickly absorbed into plant tissue, providing translaminar activity and movement upward through the plant.
Excalia is available through retailers across the region. Contact information for area retailers and your local sales representative is available on Valent.com. To learn more about Excalia, visit Valent.com/Excalia, or on the Field Advice podcast.
Products That Work, From People Who Care® | valent.com | 800-6-VALENT (682-5368)
Always read and follow label instructions.
Products that Work, From People Who Care is a registered trademark of Valent U.S.A. LLC.
Excalia is a trademark of Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. ©2023 Valent U.S.A. LLC. All rights reserved.