ADAMA Canada has received registration for Soratel fungicide to fight Septoria leaf spot, rust and mummy berry disease. The product is also newly registered for use on sugar beets.

Soratel is a triazolinthione, broad-spectrum systemic fungicide with Asorbital formulation technology. Unique to Adama, this new technology includes a built-in adjuvant which enhances leaf penetration and increases effectiveness.

“We’re excited to bring this new registration to market this year because we know some blueberry growers have struggled,” said Gavin Lunn, account manager for Adama in eastern Canada. “Soratel gives them a new way to minimize losses from these common diseases.”

Septoria leaf spot causes leaf discolouration, leaf drop, reduced fruit bud production and lower yields. It is endemic to wild blueberry and is common in many blueberry producing regions in Canada. Leaf rust can also cause significant leaf drop by early September. It can severely affect the production of fruit buds in sprout fields. Mummy berry disease (monolinia blight) is also common in most fruiting fields in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Québec and British Columbia. It causes leaves to turn brown starting early in the growing season and can be a very serious disease especially for highbush blueberries.

“While this isn’t a new active ingredient, we think this formulation will be welcomed by blueberry growers looking for options,” said Rob Bahry, research and development manager for Adama Canada. “Our Absorbital formulation technology is our proprietary formulation technology that doesn’t require additional surfactant and has excellent penetration into the plant.”

Adama Canada received permission from the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PRMA) in February 2023. It is approved for use on both highbush and lowbush blueberry production. The company generally recommends spraying in mid-season to avoid early leaf drop. For more information, including the new label with recommended uses, visit the product page: https://bit.ly/3IrIFLB

For sugar beets, Soratel is recommended for control of Cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora beticola), as well as Rhizoctonia crown rot (Rhizoctonia solani).

Source: Adama Canada February 23, 2023 news release