Honesty^® from BASF is the best policy when it comes to pre-planting potato treatment

Date:08-17-2023

Honesty^®, the new liquid tuber treatment from BASF is approved for use on all potato crops and provides strong broad spectrum disease control.

Luke Pollard (BASF Campaign Manager Speciality Crops) said, ″Honesty contains Xemium (fluxapyroxad) an SDHI fungicide which has the potential to be a real game changer for the potato industry as it delivers the best reduction of Rhizoctonia, silver scurf and black dot, and has incidental activity against dry rot, gangrene and more.″

Even at low levels of infection Rhizoctonia can have a significant impact on yield, with direct losses, by weight, of up to 30% reported and not only that, Rhizoctonia also affects the marketability of the crop. Silver scurf and black dot, blemish diseases, are together estimated to cause annual losses in the region of £5 million to the industry according to Fera Science Ltd.

Mr Pollard said, ″We’re really excited about Honesty because not only does it give comprehensive disease control it also brings additional physiological benefits to the crop giving more even stolon initiation which results in even, good looking potatoes and so more marketable grade out.″

Ease of application

Paul Goddard (BASF Business Development Manager for Speciality Crops) said, ″Honesty is applied using a roller table at a rate of 0.2 l/t, with 0.05 l/t of application enhancer, available as an Honesty Potato Pack. Honesty gives excellent coverage, and the integral blue colouring solution ensures those applying the product and growers can readily see the fungicide coverage which is hugely beneficial. An application of Honesty also assists in the drying of tubers.″

Honesty^® label flexibility

Paul Overton, Independent Agronomist said, ″I really like Honesty’s label because it does give me flexibility. I am able to treat seed for seed, for ware and for processing and that, together with the fact that tuber application is not tied to planting date makes it very adaptable.″

Honesty^® works on all varieties

Mr Overton said, ″Working with BASF we have trialled Honesty widely over the last 3 seasons in varied climatic conditions and soil types. We have also used different varieties in the trials; 30 of the top varieties which have been multiplied in Scotland over the last two years and we have applied Honesty both early and late in the season and have found no ill effects whatsoever on any variety.

″Combined with a soil treatment I think Honesty also gives good stem canker control too, which is the other phase of Rhizoctonia, so in my soils at home I’ve got all the bases covered, giving the crop the best possible start."

Honesty^® Stewardship

BASF are dedicated to helping customers achieve the highest possible tuber yields and quality and will therefore advise all customers to follow the guidance provided in our Honesty^® stewardship scheme.

Perfecting Potatoes Together

BASF are committed to helping the potato industry by unifying growers, industry experts and BASF professionals who really understand the issues being faced, and how we might solve them together.

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