Crop protection innovators Bayer CropScience has launched a new fungicide, Rudis, which may massively increase crop yields.
In a bold launch at their Cambridge base the innovative crop-science company announced its ambitions to double their business value by 2012.
Rudis is a new innovation currently licensed for use on cabbages and leeks which independent studies have shown successfully tackles disease and retains colouring.
Rudis’ launch comes as the first in a line of products Bayer hope to launch this year including Biscaya, which works with Brassicas, a lettuce fungicide, an insecticide and a product to protect onions.
Rudis has been proven to rupture spore tubes and prevent germination as well increasing nitrate, and therefore photosynthesis.
Andy Richardson, joint managing director of Allium and Brassica Centre, said: “This is the most optimistic talk I’ve given for a long time. Rudis is the DMI that thinks it’s a strobulurin so it performs just as well.”
Richardson has tested Rudis extensively with trials on a number of produce including brassica sprouts and leeks. Trials found that problems such as scorch and white blister were not found and shelf-life is improved.
Existing products, which use strobulurin include Nativo, a curative and protectant fungicide based on strobilurin and DMI chemistry, and is said to compliment Rudis when alternated.
Nathan Whitehouse, Bayer CropScience product manager, said: “We are committed to research and development and we’ve invested heavily in investment packages, Rudis cost around £3 million to create.
"The major benefits of Rudis are that it you only need to use 0.4 litres per hectare on a 21 day harvest, it covers all major cabbage and leek diseases including powdery mildew, ringspot and leaf blotch. This is a unique position for British, and Dutch, growers to be ate the forefront of agricultural development.”
Bayer CropScience claim that Rudis will increase marketable yield from a 58 per cent yield on an untreated crop to 96 per cent.
Bayer CropScience is one of the world's leading innovative cropscience companies in the area of crop protection, non-agricultural pest-control, seeds and plant biotechnology with annual sales of about €5.8 billion (£5.4bn).
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