Prosaro PRO® Fungicide – Providing Powerful Protection for Cereal Growers

Prosaro^® PRO cereal fungicide is designed for wheat and feed barley growers looking to maximize their return on investment. With the addition of fluopyram (Group 7) and an increased amount of prothioconazole (Group 3), Prosaro PRO offers a broad spectrum of control, specifically with fusarium head blight and ergot. Kate Hadley, a Saskatchewan-based Market Development Agronomist with Bayer, speaks to what sets Prosaro PRO apart.

Fusarium Threat Requires Powerful Protection

According to Hadley: “One of the core benefits of using Prosaro PRO in cereals is that it will give you a strong fusarium protection in your cereal crops. In the event of high disease pressure, Prosaro PRO is one of the best products you can use for both fusarium and leaf disease protection.”

Hadley adds that while there has not been a “bad fusarium year in Saskatchewan lately,” it is always best to proactively protect your crops from fusarium.

“It is easy to grow complacent with fusarium, but the risk of a bad outbreak is always there. It is present in our environment. Even if we have not had a high-pressure year recently, fusarium can turn into a big issue under the right conditions.”

First Cereal Fungicide with Ergot Suppression

“Prosaro PRO is also the first cereal fungicide to have ergot suppression on the label,” Hadley says. While it may not be the largest issue for most farmers, ergot can cause downgrading in wheat if left untreated.

“Ergot is likely to pop up in fields where you're breaking new ground, where there’s been a hay field previously, or if you have fields next to grassy areas, she says. “In any of these three scenarios, I would recommend protecting against ergot. Prosaro PRO is one of the best choices for this.”

Strong ROI, Even in Drier Conditions

Yield trial data has shown that even during relatively drier years, Prosaro PRO offers a strong return on investment.

“It was relatively dry last year, and we were still seeing significant yield protection from Prosaro PRO compared to the untreated checks in our trials across the West,” she says. “At the end of the day, we were still making money with that fungicide application, due to yield advantage and grain quality protection.”

Ultimately, Hadley recommends referring to the Disease Triangle to determine the likelihood of fusarium or ergot outbreaks. Local market development agronomists are also available to help determine the right fungicide choice for your farm.

The risk of disease outbreak depends on three interconnected factors: weather, the presence of the pathogen and the susceptibility of the host plant or crop.

Optimizing Prosaro PRO

When using Prosaro PRO, Hadley recommends keeping two success factors top of mind:

“First would be staging and proper timing. With Prosaro PRO we have a wide window of application on our label. Ultimately, with this wide window, growers have more flexibility to spray their wheat when it works best for them.”

“The second piece would be remembering to always add a Non-Ionic Surfactant (NIS) since it is going to give you a little extra protection in those high-pressure disease environments.”

Prosaro PRO is the first fungicide from Bayer that requires a NIS to be mixed into the tank. Hadley stresses that adding an NIS to the tank is a requirement and not a recommendation.

Prosaro PRO is available for Canadian wheat, feed barley, oat, and triticale growers from coast to coast.