Leading horticultural specialist, Grochem Australia has added a new organic fungicide to its product range.

ProBlad fungicide is now registered for suppressing brown rot and blossom blight in stone fruit, after demonstrating excellent fungicidal activity against a wide range of fungal diseases during the trial phase.

In an exciting development, ProBlad is based on a naturally occurring protein found in sweet lupins but no other legumes.

“This new broad-spectrum fungicide has a novel mode of action and has proven to be robust against fungal resistance,” said Ben Coombe – General Manager of Grochem Australia.

“We believe ProBlad will become a valuable tool for horticultural growers as it is environmentally friendly, non-toxic to insects, mammals and plants, and can be used in rotation with other chemicals. Growers using ProBlad can re-enter their orchards just four hours after treatment.”

Because it is derived from sweet lupins, the new fungicide is exempt from maximum residue levels (MRLs) and should be applied as per the label. For late season applications to protect against brown rot, a second set of treatments should be applied at least a month before harvest.

Mr Coombe said trial work had shown ProBlad to be a strong preventative fungicide.

“The soft environmental profile of this product means that growers can apply it in rotation with other chemistry up to five times per season. But like any preventative fungicide, we recommend growers use ProBlad before the first symptoms appear.”

Mr Coombe predicted a bright future for ProBlad, following the success of extensive trials showing high levels of antifungal activity against a wide range of fungal diseases in orchards and other crops.