AZUR TOP 325 SC

Azur top 325 SC is a broad-spectrum fungicide containing axoystrobin and difenoconazole.

It has systemic, translaminar and protectant properties, giving broad-spectrum contral of diseases of horticultural crops.

Introduction

AZUR TOP 325 SC contains a mixture of azoxystrobin, which is derived from natural strobilurins found in mushrooms, and the triazole fungicide difenoconazole. It inhibits fungal respiration and growth. It is best used as a protectant spray or during the early stages of disease development.

AZUR TOP 325 SC offers the following features:

• Good control of many important horticultural crop diseases including; Alternaria, Ascochyta, powdery mildew, rusts and leaf spots.
• It can be used on potatoes, tomatoes, cucurbits, beans and many other crops.
• Excellent protectant activity.
• Translaminar, systemic and some curative activity.
• May show ‘greening effect’ of delayed senescence.

Formulation

AZUR TOP 325 SC is formulated as an easy to handle fine suspension concentrate, containing 200 g/l azoxystrobin and 125 g/l difenoconazole. It mixes well with a wide range of other fungicides and insecticides.

Spectrum of activity

AZUR TOP 325 SC controls early blight, Alternaria spp, in potatoes and other crops. It can also control Ascochyta, Colletotrichum, Cercospora, powdery mildew and Alternaria in a range of other crops.

Mode of action

Azoxystrobin inhibits mitochondrial respiration in fungi by preventing electron transfer between cytochromes b and c. It acts preventatively, inhibiting spore formation in the early stages of disease development. It also has a curative effect against rusts. Azoxystrobin has limited systemic movement, redistributing to leaves emerging at the time of treatment. It distributes uniformly within sprayed leaves and has translaminar movement, penetrating through the leaf to control disease developing on its underside.

Difenoconazole inhibits synthesis of the sterol components of the fungal cell wall, which leads to malformation and rapid death of the pathogens.

These two unrelated modes of action confer robustness to the fungicide by extending the range and efficacy of control, and giving the product much greater resilience to the development of resistance by the pathogens.