AscraXpro

In an increasingly uncertain world, it’s good to know you can rely on Ascra, the UK’s most widely used wheat fungicide last year.

2020/21 was another year of unseasonal weather, with a mostly cool dry spring giving way to warm and wet weather later – ideal Septoria conditions. Compounded by delayed leaf emergence and stretched spray timings, wheat crops came under intense late disease pressure.

Ascra more than held its own, proving to be as good a Septoria protectant as any.

Now approved for barley too, the unique combination of azole and two SDHIs delivers excellent broad-spectrum disease control. Alongside Septoria in wheat, Ascra boasts highly effective yellow rust and stem-based protection. In barley it offers even better control of net blotch, Rhynchosporium and Ramularia than Siltra, the previous standard.

Ascra excels for grower convenience, with wide dose flexibility, excellent return on investment, label approval for use in wheat and barley, our proven Leafshield formulation, and a ratio of prothioconazole, bixafen and fluopyram to meet FRAC guidelines.

Its all-round activity ideally suits it to the key T1 and T2 timings in wheat, and barley too, where it has full approval for malting crops.

• Excellent Septoria, rust and stem-based disease protection

• Enhanced net blotch, Rhynchosporium and Ramularia control over Siltra

• Ideal T1 or T2 fit for both wheat and barley

• Most widely used UK wheat fungicide last season

Ascra remains unique in offering two SDHIs, pyrazole-carboxamide bixafen and benzamide fluopyram, and the leading azole fungicide prothioconazole. It’s one reason why Ascra remains the UK’s best broad-spectrum fungicide.

The combination of two SDHIs complement each other through incomplete cross-resistance, bolstering Septoria protection. If a shift in sensitivity occurs with bixafen we don’t see it with fluopyram and vice-versa. Our Septoria population is constantly evolving, which is why we see fluctuations in fungicide performance. Ascra’s incomplete cross-resistance is a factor in its consistent performance over several seasons.

These population shifts aren’t unique to Septoria. The same applies to all wheat and barley disease pathogens, which is why the partnership with prothioconazole is also important.

Azole performance has declined over recent seasons, but the degree varies between azole groups. Prothioconazole performance against Septoria has reduced, but not as sharply as other azole classes. Against yellow rust, the stem-based complex and Fusaria prothioconazole is still highly effective. In barley prothioconazole is still the cornerstone of disease control programmes.

This unique combination of prothioconazole with bixafen and fluopyram makes Ascra such a strong broad-spectrum wheat and barley fungicide.

• Unique benzamide SDHI technology and incomplete cross resistance with bixafen

• Prothioconazole performance still strong across disease portfolio

You only have to look at the independent trials and AHDB dose response curves to see what a consistent fungicide Ascra is.

That performance is reflected in trials from 2016 to the current day. AICC regional trials have shown Ascra’s protective properties to be on a par with Revystar and Univoq, only when exposed to curative pressure are differences seen – and then only small.

Our winter wheat trials at Callow and Hinton Waldrist reflect those by independent organisations. Trials comparing an Aviator T1 followed by Ascra at the T2 versus two applications of Revystar show comparable Septoria performance and a clear advantage in yellow rust control.

Our standard four spray programme includes a tebuconazole T0 and prothioconazole based T3, an effective and affordable preventative programme. Growers can expect strong return on investment when using Ascra in a fungicide programme, even with resilient Septoria varieties like Extase. Even in low pressure seasons our mean trials data has shown yield responses of around 1.0 t/ha to our standard four spray programme.

Barley farm trials last season reflect those of independent organisations such as SRUC and Velcourt. Ascra delivered mean yield responses of 0.3 t/ha over Siltra in winter barley, and 0.2 t/ha in spring crops.

• Little change in AHDB dose response performance

• Proven ROI on farm

With rate recommendations of between 1.0 l/ha and 1.5 l/ha in wheat or 0.7 l/ha – 0.9 in barley, Ascra’s dose flexibility means it works across your cropping area. Whether it be Extase or Barrell, rates can be matched to varietal resilience, drilling date and weather patterns.

In barley there isn’t a better option for a T1 threat of Rhynchosporium in a winter two row feed crop or T2 Ramularia protection in a spring crop targeting malting premium.

• Dose flexibility to match disease threats and severity

• Approved for use in wheat and barley

Ascra’s Leafshield formulation boosts your operational field efficiency.

With formulation technology unique to Bayer, it ensures active leaf adhesion and surface penetration. This allows the actives to work as designed for optimum disease efficacy but also seal off leaf surfaces for exceptional rainfastness. If spray windows are tightened by weather uncertainty there’s no better option than Ascra.

This has been proven in Silsoe Spray Applications Unit trials, research demonstrating rapid droplet spread across leaf surface and uniform distribution, sealing in disease from escaping.

It’s also highly mix compatible, so suitable for additional field requirements such as growth regulation or foliar micronutrition. And a multisite can be included with no detriment to Ascra curative performance.

• Rainfast in minutes

• Wide mix compatibility

There’s no need for any additions when it comes adhering to stewarding strategies. Ascra is formulated to deliver the ideal balance of azole and SDHI, and even at the 1.0 l/ha rate Ascra is delivering a 65% dose of prothioconazole, meeting FRAC stewardship recommendations.

It’s one less thing to worry about when creating your disease control strategy.

There’s also reduced mixing time and rinsing and disposal of chemical containers, further convenience at what can be a busy time of the season and time in short supply.

• Meets FRAC guidance at all recommended rates

• Reduced downtime with ‘one can’ convenience