The invention relates to a method for controlling Rhizoctonia solani in legumes.

Rhizoctonia solani is a soilborne pathogen that can attack seedlings, roots and crowns of many plant species including soybeans and other legumes, potato, corn, cotton, and rice. Rhizoctonia solani is the causal agent of Rhizoctonia root and stem rot of legumes including soybeans, cotton and of Rhizoctonia sheath blight of rice. Damage from Rhizoctonia solani can result in considerable harvest and yield losses. Damage on legumes, especially soybean, caused by the soilborne fungus Rhizoctonia solani may occur at any time during the growing season, but it is more severe on young seedlings.

Thus, there is a need in the art to find ways to combat this pathogen efficiently. Many currently available fungicides as well as mixtures do not show the necessary fungicidal action to control this particular disease efficiently.

Surprisingly, it has now been found that the application of a mixture comprising thiophanate-methyl and a strobilurine fungicide selected from trifloxystrobin, azoxystrobin, orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin is particularly suitable for controlling Rhizoctonia solani in legumes, if applied as a seed treatment.

Thus, the present invention comprises a method for controlling Rhizoctonia solani in legumes, which comprises treating the seed of the legumes with a fungicidally effective amount of mixture comprising thiophanate-methyl and a strobilurine fungicide selected from trifloxystrobin, azoxystrobin, picoxystrobin, orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin, preferably from trifloxystrobin, azoxystrobin, orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin more preferably from orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin, most preferably from pyraclostrobin.

The term "seeds" is to be understood to denote all the generative parts of the plant such as seeds and vegetative plant material such as cuttings and tubers (e. g. potatoes), which can be used for the multiplication of the plant. Thus, the term "seed(s)" as used herein includes seeds, roots, fruits, tubers, bulbs, rhizomes, shoots, sprouts and other parts of plants, including seedlings and young plants, which are to be transplanted after germination or after emergence from soil. These young plants may also be protected before transplantation by a total or partial treatment by immersion or pouring. In a particular preferred embodiment, the term "seed(s)" denotes seeds.

The term "effective amount" means the amount of the inventive mixtures or of compositions comprising the mixtures needed to achieve an observable effect on growth, including the effects of necrosis, death, retardation, prevention, and removal, destruction, or otherwise diminishing the occurrence and activity of the target organism Rhizoctonia solani. The fungicidally effective amount can vary for the various mixtures / compositions used in the invention. A fungicidally effective amount of the mixtures / compositions will also vary according to the prevailing conditions such as desired fungicidal effect and duration, weather, locus, and the like.

The term "legumes" includes, but is not limited to soybean, potatoes, corn, rice, beans, peas, and lentil family (leguminosae), preferably soybean, beans, peas, and lentil family (leguminosae), most preferably soybeans.

However, the methods of the present invention can also comprise a treatment of seeds of legumes with the mixtures as defined above, which have been modified by breeding, mutagenesis or genetic engineering including but not limiting to agricultural biotech products on the market or in development (cf. http://www.bio. org/speeches/pubs/er/agri_products. asp). Genetically modified legumes are legumes, which genetic material has been so modified by the use of recombinant DNA techniques that under natural circumstances cannot readily be obtained by cross breeding, mutations or natural recombination. Typically, one or more genes have been integrated into the genetic material of a genetically modified plant in order to improve certain properties of the legumes. Such genetic modifications also include but are not limited to targeted post-transtional modification of protein(s), oligo- or polypeptides e. g. by glycosylation or polymer additions such as prenylated, acetylated or farnesylated moieties or PEG moieties.

In one embodiment it is preferred that the soybean plant be a transgenic plant having preferably a transgenic event that confers resistance to a pesticide, preferably for the herbicide glyphosate. Accordingly, it is preferred that the transgenic plant be one having a transgenic event that provides glyphosate resistance. Some examples of such preferred transgenic plants having transgenic events that confer glyphosate resistance are described in US 5,914,451 , US 5,866,775, US 5,804,425, US 5,776,760, US 5,633,435, US 5,627,061 , US 5,463,175, US 5,312,910, US 5,310,667, US 5,188,642, US 5,145,783, US 4,971 ,908 and US 4,940,835. More preferably, the transgenic soybean plant has the characteristics of "Roundup-Ready" transgenic soybeans (available from Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo.).

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises a method for controlling Rhizoctonia solani in transgenic or non-transgenic soybeans, wherein embodiments of transgenic soybeans are set forth above, which comprises treating the seed of the soybeans with a mixture comprising thiophanate-methyl and a strobilurine fungicide selected from trifloxystrobin, azoxystrobin, picoxystrobin, orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin, preferably from trifloxystrobin, azoxystrobin, orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin, more preferably from orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin, most preferably from pyraclostrobin.

The compounds thiophanate-methyl, trifloxystrobin, azoxystrobin, orysastrobin and pyraclostrobin as well as their overall fungicidal action and methods for producing them are generally known. For instance, the afore-mentioned compounds may be found in The Pesticide Manual, 13th Edition, British Crop Protection Council (2003) among other publications.

It is also known that mixtures of strobilurins with fungicidally active benzimidazoles and benzimidazole-releasing compounds, wherein thiophanate-methyl is mentioned inter alia, have synergistic fungicidal action (US 6,365,613 and WO 06/066810).

However, none of these documents mentions that efficient control of Rhizoctonia solani can be achieved via seed treatment.

The mixtures comprising thiophanate-methyl and a strobilurine fungicide selected from trifloxystrobin, picoxystrobin, azoxystrobin, orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin, preferably from trifloxystrobin, azoxystrobin, orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin more preferably from orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin, most preferably from pyraclostrobin are herein below referred to as "mixtures according to the present invention" or "inventive mixtures".

The ratios by weight in the mixtures according to the present invention are for thiophanate-methyl and the strobilurine fungicide are from 1 :100 to 100:1 , preferably from 50:1 to 1 :50, more preferably from 1 :20 to 20.

The inventive mixtures are applied by treating the seed of the legumes, preferably soybeans, transgenic or non-transgenic, to be protected from Rhizoctonia solani, with a fungicidally active amount of the active ingredients.

The application can be carried out both before and after the infection of the seeds by the pests.

For use according to the present invention, the mixtures according to the invention can be converted into the customary formulations, for example solutions, emulsions, suspensions, dusts, powders, pastes and granules. The use form depends on the particular intended purpose; in each case, it should ensure a fine and even distribution of the mixtures according to the present invention. The formulations are prepared in a known manner (cf. US 3,060,084, EP-A 707 445 (for liquid concentrates), Browning: "Agglomeration", Chemical Engineering, Dec. 4, 1967, 147-48, Perry's Chemical Engineer's Handbook, 4th Ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 1963, S. 8-57 und ff. WO 91/13546, US 4,172,714, US 4,144,050, US 3,920,442, US 5,180,587, US 5,232,701 , US 5,208,030, GB 2,095,558, US 3,299,566, Klingman: Weed Control as a Science (J. Wiley & Sons, New York, 1961 ), Hance et al.: Weed Control Handbook (8th Ed., Blackwell Scientific, Oxford, 1989) and Mollet, H. and Grubemann, A.: Formulation technology (Wiley VCH Verlag, Weinheim, 2001 ). The agrochemical formulations may also comprise auxiliaries which are customary in agrochemical formulations. The auxiliaries used depend on the particular application form and active substance, respectively. Examples for suitable auxiliaries are solvents, solid carriers, dispersants or emulsifiers (such as further solubilizers, protective colloids, surfactants and adhesion agents), organic and anorganic thickeners, bactericides, anti-freezing agents, anti-foaming agents, if appropriate colorants and tackifiers or binders. Suitable solvents are water, organic solvents such as mineral oil fractions of medium to high boiling point, such as kerosene or diesel oil, furthermore coal tar oils and oils of vegetable or animal origin, aliphatic, cyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons, e. g. toluene, xylene, paraffin, tetrahydronaphthalene, alkylated naphthalenes or their derivatives, alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol and cyclohexanol, glycols, ketones such as cyclohexanone and gamma-butyrolactone, fatty acid dimethylamides, fatty acids and fatty acid esters and strongly polar solvents, e. g. amines such as N- methylpyrrolidone.

Solid carriers are mineral earths such as silicates, silica gels, talc, kaolins, limestone, lime, chalk, bole, loess, clays, dolomite, diatomaceous earth, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium oxide, ground synthetic materials, fertilizers, such as, e. g., ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium nitrate, ureas, and products of vegetable origin, such as cereal meal, tree bark meal, wood meal and nutshell meal, cellulose powders and other solid carriers.

Suitable surfactants (adjuvants, wtters, tackifiers, dispersants or emulsifiers) are alkali metal, alkaline earth metal and ammonium salts of aromatic sulfonic acids, such as ligninsoulfonic acid (Borresperse® types, Borregard, Norway) phenolsulfonic acid, naphthalenesulfonic acid (Morwet® types, Akzo Nobel, U.S.A.), dibutylnaphthalene- sulfonic acid (Nekal® types, BASF, Germany), and fatty acids, alkylsulfonates, alkyl- arylsulfonates, alkyl sulfates, laurylether sulfates, fatty alcohol sulfates, and sulfated hexa-, hepta- and octadecanolates, sulfated fatty alcohol glycol ethers, furthermore condensates of naphthalene or of naphthalenesulfonic acid with phenol and formaldehyde, polyoxy-ethylene octylphenyl ether, ethoxylated isooctylphenol, octylphenol, nonylphenol, alkylphenyl polyglycol ethers, tributylphenyl polyglycol ether, tristearyl- phenyl polyglycol ether, alkylaryl polyether alcohols, alcohol and fatty alcohol/ethylene oxide condensates, ethoxylated castor oil, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, ethoxylated polyoxypropylene, lauryl alcohol polyglycol ether acetal, sorbitol esters, lignin-sulfite waste liquors and proteins, denatured proteins, polysaccharides (e. g. methylcellulose), hydrophobically modified starches, polyvinyl alcohols (Mowiol® types, Clariant, Switzerland), polycarboxylates (Sokolan® types, BASF, Germany), polyalkoxylates, polyvinylamines (Lupasol® types, BASF, Germany), polyvinylpyrrolidone and the copolymers therof.

Examples for thickeners (i. e. compounds that impart a modified flowability to formulations, i. e. high viscosity under static conditions and low viscosity during agitation) are polysaccharides and organic and anorganic clays such as Xanthan gum (Kelzan®, CP Kelco, U.S.A.), Rhodopol® 23 (Rhodia, France), Veegum® (RT. Vanderbilt, U.S.A.) or Attaclay® (Engelhard Corp., NJ, USA).

Bactericides may be added for preservation and stabilization of the formulation. Examples for suitable bactericides are those based on dichlorophene and benzyl- alcohol hemi formal (Proxel® from ICI or Acticide® RS from Thor Chemie and Kathon® MK from Rohm & Haas) and isothiazolinone derivatives such as alkylisothiazolinones and benzisothiazolinones (Acticide® MBS from Thor Chemie).

Examples for suitable anti-freezing agents are ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, urea and glycerin.

Examples for anti-foaming agents are silicone emulsions (such as e. g. Silikon® SRE, Wacker, Germany or Rhodorsil®, Rhodia, France), long chain alcohols, fatty acids, salts of fatty acids, fluoroorganic compounds and mixtures thereof.

Suitable colorants are pigments of low water solubility and water-soluble dyes. Examples to be mentioned und the designations rhodamin B, C. I. pigment red 1 12, C. I. solvent red 1 , pigment blue 15:4, pigment blue 15:3, pigment blue 15:2, pigment blue 15:1 , pigment blue 80, pigment yellow 1 , pigment yellow 13, pigment red 1 12, pigment red 48:2, pigment red 48:1 , pigment red 57:1 , pigment red 53:1 , pigment orange 43, pigment orange 34, pigment orange 5, pigment green 36, pigment green 7, pigment white 6, pigment brown 25, basic violet 10, basic violet 49, acid red 51 , acid red 52, acid red 14, acid blue 9, acid yellow 23, basic red 10, basic red 108. Examples for tackifiers or binders are polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylacetates, polyvinyl alcohols and cellulose ethers (Tylose®, Shin-Etsu, Japan).

Powders, materials for spreading and dusts can be prepared by mixing or concomitantly grinding the compounds I and/or Il and, if appropriate, further active substances, with at least one solid carrier. Granules, e. g. coated granules, impregnated granules and homogeneous granules, can be prepared by binding the active substances to solid carriers. Examples of solid carriers are mineral earths such as silica gels, silicates, talc, kaolin, attaclay, limestone, lime, chalk, bole, loess, clay, dolomite, diatomaceous earth, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium oxide, ground synthetic materials, fertilizers, such as, e. g., ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium nitrate, ureas, and products of vegetable origin, such as cereal meal, tree bark meal, wood meal and nutshell meal, cellulose powders and other solid carriers.

Examples for formulation types are: 1. Composition types for dilution with water i) Water-soluble concentrates (SL, LS)

10 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures are dissolved in 90 parts by weight of water or in a water-soluble solvent. As an alternative, wetting agents or other auxiliaries are added. The active substance dissolves upon dilution with water. In this way, a formulation having a content of 10% by weight of active substance is obtained, ii) Dispersible concentrates (DC)

20 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures are dissolved in 70 parts by weight of cyclohexanone with addition of 10 parts by weight of a dispersant, e. g. polyvinylpyrrolidone. Dilution with water gives a dispersion. The active substance content is 20% by weight. iii) Emulsifiable concentrates (EC)

15 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures are dissolved in 75 parts by weight of xylene with addition of calcium dodecylbenzenesulfonate and castor oil ethoxylate (in each case 5 parts by weight). Dilution with water gives an emulsion. The composition has an active substance content of 15% by weight, iv) Emulsions (EW, EO, ES)

25 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures are dissolved in 35 parts by weight of xylene with addition of calcium dodecylbenzenesulfonate and castor oil ethoxylate (in each case 5 parts by weight). This mixture is introduced into 30 parts by weight of water by means of an emulsifying machine (Ultraturrax) and made into a homogeneous emulsion. Dilution with water gives an emulsion. The composition has an active substance content of 25% by weight, v) Suspensions (SC, OD, FS) In an agitated ball mill, 20 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures are comminuted with addition of 10 parts by weight of dispersants and wetting agents and 70 parts by weight of water or an organic solvent to give a fine active substance suspension. Dilution with water gives a stable suspension of the active substance. The active substance content in the composition is 20% by weight, vi) Water-dispersible granules and water-soluble granules (WG, SG) 50 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures are ground finely with addition of 50 parts by weight of dispersants and wetting agents and prepared as water-dispersible or water-soluble granules by means of technical appliances (e. g. extrusion, spray tower, fluidized bed). Dilution with water gives a stable dispersion or solution of the active substance. The composition has an active substance content of 50% by weight. vii) Water-dispersible powders and water-soluble powders (WP, SP, SS, WS) 75 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures are ground in a rotor-stator mill with addition of 25 parts by weight of dispersants, wetting agents and silica gel. Dilution with water gives a stable dispersion or solution of the active substance. The active substance content of the composition is 75% by weight, viii) Gel (GF)

In an agitated ball mill, 20 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures are comminuted with addition of 10 parts by weight of dispersants, 1 part by weight of a gelling agent wetters and 70 parts by weight of water or of an organic solvent to give a fine suspension of the active substance. Dilution with water gives a stable suspension of the active substance, whereby a composition with 20% (w/w) of active substance is obtained.

2. Composition types to be applied undiluted ix) Dustable powders (DP, DS) 5 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures are ground finely and mixed intimately with 95 parts by weight of finely divided kaolin. This gives a dustable composition having an active substance content of 5% by weight, x) Granules (GR, FG, GG, MG) 0.5 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures is ground finely and associated with 99.5 parts by weight of carriers. Current methods are extrusion, spray- drying or the fluidized bed. This gives granules to be applied undiluted having an active substance content of 0.5% by weight, xi) ULV solutions (UL) 10 parts by weight of compounds of the inventive mixtures are dissolved in 90 parts by weight of an organic solvent, e. g. xylene. This gives a composition to be applied undiluted having an active substance content of 10% by weight.

The compounds of the inventive mixtures can be used as such or in the form of their compositions, e. g. in the form of directly sprayable solutions, powders, suspensions, dispersions, emulsions, oil dispersions, pastes, dustable products, materials for spreading, or granules, by means of spraying, atomizing, dusting, spreading, brushing, immersing or pouring. The application forms depend entirely on the intended purposes; it is intended to ensure in each case the finest possible distribution of the compounds present in the inventive mixtures.

Aqueous application forms can be prepared from emulsion concentrates, pastes or wettable powders (sprayable powders, oil dispersions) by adding water. To prepare emulsions, pastes or oil dispersions, the substances, as such or dissolved in an oil or solvent, can be homogenized in water by means of a wetter, tackifier, dispersant or emulsifier. Alternatively, it is possible to prepare concentrates composed of active substance, wetter, tackifier, dispersant or emulsifier and, if appropriate, solvent or oil, and such concentrates are suitable for dilution with water.

Within these formulation types, the following are especially suitable for seed treatment: Soluble concentrates (SL, LS), Emulsions (EW, EO, ES), Suspensions (SC, OD, FS), Water-dispersible granules and water-soluble granules (WG, SG), Water-dispersible powders and water-soluble powders (WP, SP, WS), Gel-Formulations (GF) and Dustable powders (DP, DS).

These compositions can be applied to plant propagation materials, particularly seeds, diluted or undiluted. The compositions in question give, after two-to-tenfold dilution, the fungicidally active substance concentrations of from 0.01 to 60% by weight, preferably from 0.1 to 40% by weight, in the ready-to-use preparations.

Various types of oils, wetters, adjuvants, herbicides, fungicides, other pesticides, or bactericides may be added to the active compounds, if appropriate not until immediately prior to use (tank mix). These agents can be admixed with the compounds of the inventive mixtures in a weight ratio of 1 :100 to 100:1 , preferably 1 :10 to 10:1.

Compositions of this invention may also contain fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate, urea, potash, and superphosphate, phytotoxicants and plant growth regulators and safeners. These may be used sequentially or in combination with the above-described compositions, if appropriate also added only immediately prior to use (tank mix). For example, the plant(s) may be sprayed with a composition of this invention either before or after being treated with the fertilizers.

The compounds contained in the mixtures as defined above can be applied simultaneously, that is jointly or separately, or in succession, the sequence, in the case of separate application, generally not having any effect on the result of the control measures.

According to this invention, thiophanate-methyl and the strobilurine fungicide is to be understood to denote, that at least thiophanate-methyl and the strobilurine fungicide occur simultaneously on the seed in a fungicidally effective amount.

This can be obtained by applying thiophanate-methyl and the strobilurine fungicide simultaneously, either jointly or sperately, or in succession on the seed, wherein the time interval between the individual applications is selected to ensure that the active substance applied first on the seed in a sufficient amount at the time of application of the further active substance(s). The order of application is not essential for working of the present invention.

The compounds of the inventive mixtures can be used individually or already partially or completely mixed with one another to prepare the composition comprising the mixture according to the invention. It is also possible for them to be packaged and used further as combination composition such as a kit of parts.

In one embodiment of the invention, the kits may include one or more, including all, components that may be used to prepare a subject agrochemical composition. E. g., kits may include thiophanate-methyl and the strobilurine fungicide and/or an adjuvant component and/or a further pesticidal compound (e.g. insecticide or herbicide) and/or a growth regulator component). One or more of the components may already be combined together or pre-formulated. In those embodiments where more than two components are provided in a kit, the components may already be combined together and as such are packaged in a single container such as a vial, bottle, can, pouch, bag or canister. In other embodiments, two or more components of a kit may be packaged separately, i. e., not pre-formulated. As such, kits may include one or more separate containers such as vials, cans, bottles, pouches, bags or canisters, each container containing a separate component for an agrochemical composition. In both forms, a component of the kit may be applied separately from or together with the further components or as a component of a combination composition according to the invention for preparing the composition according to the invention.

According to one embodiment, individual compounds of the inventive mixtures formulated as composition (or formulation) such as parts of a kit or parts of the inventive mixture may be mixed by the user himself in a tank and further auxiliaries may be added, if appropriate.

In a further embodiment, either individual compounds of the inventive mixtures formulated as composition or partially premixed components, e. g. components comprising thiophanate-methyl and the strobilurine fungicide may be mixed by the user in a tank and further auxiliaries and additives may be added, if appropriate.

In a further embodiment, either individual components of the composition according to the invention or partially premixed components, e. g. components comprising thiophanate-methyl and the strobilurine fungicide, can be applied jointly-or consecutively. When preparing the mixtures, it is preferred to employ the pure active compounds, to which further active compounds against pests, such as insecticides, herbicides, fungicides or else herbicidal or growth-regulating active compounds or fertilizers can be added as further active components according to need.

The application to seed can be carried out before sowing. According to the methods of the present invention, the inventive mixtures and compositions thereof can be applied respectively, on to seeds as known in the art, which include dressing, coating, pelleting, dusting and soaking application methods of the seeds. In a preferred embodiment, the compounds or the compositions thereof, respectively, are applied on to the plant seeds by a method such that germination is not induced, e. g. by seed dressing, pelleting, coating and dusting.

In the treatment of seed, the application rates of the inventive mixture are generally for the formulated product (which usually comprises fromi O to 750 g/l of the active(s)) .

The invention also relates to the seeds of legumes that is, coated with and/or containing, a mixture as defined above or a composition containing the mixture of two (or more) active ingredients or a mixture of two or more compositions each providing one of the active ingredients.

The seed comprises the inventive mixtures in an amount of from 0.1 g to 10 kg per 100 kg of seed.

For example, the ratio by weight for thiophanate-methyl is herein preferably between 10 - 200 g/100kg seed, more prefered 25 to 200 g/100kg seed and most preferred 25 to 100 g/100kg seed.

For example, the ratio by weight for the strobilurin (azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, picoxystrobin, trifloxystrobin or orsyastrobin (preferably azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, trifloxystrobin or orsyastrobin, more preferably orysastrobin or pyraclostrobin, most preferably pyraclostrobin) is herein preferably between 0,5 - 200 g/100kg seed, more prefered 0,5 to 50 g/100kg seed and most preferred 0,5 to 20 g/100kg seed.

The separate or joint application of the compounds of the inventive mixtures is carried out by spraying or dusting the seeds before sowing of the plants. The invention is further illustrated but not limited by the following examples.

Examples - Seed treatment for the control of Rhizoctonia solani in legumes

10O g soybean seeds were treated with a mixture of a either formulation of strobilurin (example pyraclostrobin 200 g/L FS, 25 ml/100 kg seed) or a formulation of strobilurin + thiophanate-methyl (example: pyraclostrobin + thiophanate-methyl 50+450 g/L FS, dose rate 100 ml/100 kg seed) in a total of 600 ml slurry volume, that contained 60 ml/100 kg of Becker Underwood Color Coat Blue and 19 ml/100 kg CF Clear (Becker Underwood) and 4 grams ai/100 kg of a commercial formulation of metalaxyl

(Allegiance FL), which was included for control of Pythium spp. Treatments were compared to a commercial standard of fludioxonil and metalaxyl-M (mefenoxam) applied to the seed at 2.5 and 3.75 grams ai/100 kg seed. Field trials were established in Arkansas, USA and California, USA the later for the control of Pythium spp. Plant counts per unit of row length were made 29 and 25 days after planting, respectively. The plant counts, which were indicative of the level of protection from Rhizoctonia solani, were transformed to a percentage of the commercial standard. The following summary refers to the efficacy data where the active ingredients strobilurine and thiophanate-methyl are respectively in a ratio of 5 and 45 grams per 100 kilograms of seeds.

Stand count (% of standard, which is 100%) Trial 1 Trial 2

Untreated control 69.6 76.9

Metalaxyl (4 g ai/100 kg) 64.7 54.9

Pyraclostrobin (5 gai/100 kg) + metalaxyl (4 gai/100 kg) 105.9 88.0

Pyraclostrobin (5) + Thiophanate-methyl (45)

+ metalaxyl (4) 128.2 1 12.0

Standard: Fludioxonil (2.5) + metalaxyl-M (3.75) 100 100

Efficacy increase from T-methyl addition 22.3% 24%