Beware fungicide that’s just too new, barley growers warned
By: JimOldfield
May 20th, 2012
Malting barley growers have been warned to be careful in their choice of fungicides when responding to mounting disease pressure.
As the spring rains increase the risk from fungal attack, new fungicide Adexar is so fresh from testing that – despite getting approval from the Chemicals Regulation Directorate – it has not yet undergone trials to secure a place on the British Beer and Pub Association’s (BBPA) recommended list and as such, cannot be used in brewing crops.
Campden BRI is the company responsible for testing malting and brewing chemicals and research and development manager, Dr Ian Slaiding said: “Unfortunately Adexar is just too new – it hasn’t had the chance to get through our approvals process and consequently it’s not on the brewers’ recommended list.
“With fungicides, the biggest danger in the brewing process is upsetting the yeast – we have to ensure there is no residual effect that could impact on that.”
Testing involves evaluating samples of grain from crops treated with the chemical at all stages of the malting and brewing process – from germination to the final taste of the beer.
Adexar is proving a popular choice because of its ability to deal with a broad range of fungal including rhynchosporium, net blotch, brown rust and ramularia.
Peter Hughes, BASF’s cereals fungicide product manager said: “Some people may well have planned to include Adexar in their control programmes without realising it couldn’t be used on crops destined for malting.
“It’s basically a technicality that means Adexar hasn’t yet got on to the recommended list with the BBPA.
“Unfortunately, we’re unlikely to get approval for the use of Xemium products this year in malting crops… though plenty of growers in feed barley and wheats are using them.”
