Canadian farmers will have a new fungicide to manage yield-robbing diseases in 2021. Stargus, a biofungicide created by Marrone Bio Innovations, provides broad-spectrum suppression of challenging diseases such as downy mildew, Botrytis, Sclerotinia and more through a novel mode of action. Field trials in the U.S. and Canada also show Stargus has been shown to increase crop yield and improve overall crop quality. 

“Marrone Bio Innovations has tested Stargus extensively across both Canada and the U.S., and its disease control has proven to increase quality and yield,” says Scott Hodgins, manager of Cohort Wholesale, a Canadian distributor of Stargus. “While Stargus is approved for organic production, we believe Stargus’ efficacy, as well as rotation and tank-mix flexibility, make it an excellent fit in what Marrone Bio calls a BioUnite approach – where a farmer uses biologicals with synthetic chemistries to get the best ROI.” 

In 2020, Cohort Wholesale coordinated field-scale trials with Canadian bean and grape growers to demonstrate the utility of Stargus in both conventional and organic production systems. Grower cooperators and third-party evaluations confirmed that Stargus is an effective rotation partner for black rot and downy mildew in grapes while also bringing significant value to white mold tank-mixes in beans.

The biofungicide is powered by a novel, patented strain of formulated Bacillus bacteria that makes it an excellent fit when targeting downy mildews, white molds and black rot. 

Stargus is registered in Canada for suppression of downy mildew and black rot in grapes, white mold in beans, soybeans and peas, downy mildew in cucurbits, and pink rot in potatoes. It also provides partial suppression of Sclerotinia in canola and sunflowers. Stargus is distributed in Canada by Cohort Wholesale and is available through local crop protection retailers. 

For more information, contact Scott Hodgins (Scott.Hodgins@CohortWholesale.com / 519-494-9300) or visit CohortWholesale.com. 

Source:  Cohort Wholesale December 8, 2020 news release