BASF advises growers to manage Fusarium head blight

Weather conditions increase disease risk across Western Canada

MISSISSAUGA, ON, July 14, 2014 /CNW/ - Due to a cool, wet spring in Western Canada and delayed seeding more acres may be affected by Fusarium head blight (FHB) this year. With the increased risk, BASF is reminding growers to take proactive measures and apply a preventative fungicide like CARAMBA^®.

"Crops are at a greater risk for Fusarium head blight this year across all three prairie provinces. At this point in the season, using a fungicide is the best way to protect your wheat crop from FHB and late season leaf diseases," said Piero Castro, Brand Manager of Fungicides in Cereal, Corn and Soybean. "A strategically planned fungicide application is an excellent preventative measure against spring fungal diseases, helping to increase quality and yield."

Application timing is crucial to prevent disease and reduce DON levels. Once a crop is infected with the disease, it's too late. If timed properly, a fungicide application protects against leaf diseases and maximizes yield and grade.

For maximum efficacy on FHB, timing the fungicide application during the flowering period of cereals is key.  For wheat, oats and rye, apply when 75 to 100 percent of the main stem heads are fully emerged and when 40 to 50 percent of them have started flowering. For barley, apply up to three days after full emergence of head.

"CARAMBA will be a key tool this year for growers to manage FHB while delivering exceptional control of all major cereal leaf diseases, including rust," said Castro. "In field trials, CARAMBA demonstrated the greatest and most consistent reduction in DON levels and offered improved yields by two bushels per acre or more over competitors."

CARAMBA is a registered trade-mark of BASF Agro B.V., used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. CARAMBA should be used in a preventative disease control program.

© 2014 BASF Canada Inc.

BASF - The Chemical Company

BASF Canada, located in Mississauga, Ontario is a subsidiary of BASF SE, and an affiliate of BASF Corporation. BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $19.3 billion in 2013. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.us. To find out more about BASF's activities in Canada visit www.basf.ca or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/basfcanada.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

SOURCE: BASF Canada Inc.

For further information: Christina Stroud, BASF Canada Inc., Tel: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; Andrea Maillet, ON Communication, Tel: [phone] x254, E-mail: [email protected]