Federated Farmers Submission on APP202679- Import of Elatus Plus
Federated Farmers welcomes this opportunity to make this submission to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on Application APP202679, to import Elatus Plus, an emulsifiable concentrate containing 100g/L benzovindiflupyr, for use as a fungicide on wheat to control speckled leaf blotch, Glume blotch, leaf rust and stripe rust.
The Arable Industry Group represents the interests of arable farmers in New Zealand, many of whom will be growers of cereal crops. New Zealand farmers harvest approximately 400,000 tonnes of wheat each year which is used to produce high quality ingredients for the domestic food industry. The value of cereal grain to the New Zealand economy is estimated to be $1.82 billion in 2013, according research commissioned by the Arable Foods Industry Council. New Zealand’s arable farmers are the world leaders when it comes to wheat yields and quality of product produced. But our ability to remain world leaders is dependent on gaining control over fungal diseases which having a growing impact on yields and quality of wheat crops.
Speckled leaf blotch, Glume blotch, leaf rust and stripe rust are major fungal diseases of wheat crops in New Zealand. Speckled leaf blotch in particular has developed resistance to the chemical grouping Qol (Quinone outside Inhibitors – group 11) which include azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, fluoxastrobin, picoxystrobin, trifloxystrobin and kresoxim methyl. Resistance to fungicides is a growing concern for arable farmers, particularly given the small range of chemicals on offer in New Zealand and the difficulties associated with registering new and more effective modes of action. Without new fungicide options, farmers will have limited chemical options available to them to control these economically important diseases.
The introduction of new chemical formations, in particular, succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHI), offers a new mode of action for controlling fungal diseases. SDHI’s have performed well in the Foundation of Arable Research (FAR) trials. The introduction of Elatus Plus provides farmers with another tool in the tool box to help manage resistance to fungal diseases in New Zealand while delivering better level of disease control. This has numerous economic and environmental benefits for farmers in New Zealand.
After consultation with its membership Federated Farmers supports the application to import Elatus Plus, an emulsifiable concentrate containing 100g/L benzovindiflupyr, for use as a fungicide on wheat to control speckled leaf blotch, Glume blotch, leaf rust and stripe rust.