There’s no tougher job in the vineyard than controlling powdery mildew and there are plenty of products contending for selection. Of course, it’s important to rotate different modes of action, but BASF are confident Vivando should be the first name on the spray program ‘team sheet’ for both grapes and cucurbits. That’s why BASF are using the marketing slogan ‘Vivando for PM’.

“It all comes down to doing a top job,” explains BASF’s Horticulture Portfolio Manager Serge Usatov. “We know growers who try Vivando for the first time – as a lot of grape growers did in 2016 – are impressed by how strongly it performs. If they also realise the price has come down since then, we’re confident they’ll be ready to use more Vivando and put less focus on older products.”

Even though the price change happened last year, BASF are not sure the whole market is aware of what they see as a game-changer for the product.

“Based on a thousand-litre water rate, Vivando now only costs around $25 a hectare to apply in grapes,” says Serge. “That’s a very competitive price for two weeks of exceptionally reliable control. Especially when including Vivando in the rotation will also help keep the use of older, lower-priced products viable. Introducing its innovative Group U8 mode of action means less selection and cost pressure across the whole rotation.”

The cost of applying Vivando to cucurbits ranges from just under $19 per hectare at the lowest label rate to $37.50 a hectare when it’s applied at the maximum 300 mL/ha.

Now Serge Usatov has announced that all Vivando users can get even better value over the next few months: “We’re offering a special seasonal discount until November 2018. If Vivando retailers haven’t already heard about it, they can contact their local BASF representative.”

Vivando targets three stages of the powdery mildew lifecycle. It prevents infections occurring by causing deformities in the appressorium to ‘disarm’ powdery mildew spores, leaving them unable to penetrate plant tissue. It also limits lesions by slowing the growth of existing infections and inhibits sporulation by quickly blocking normal spore formation.

Another key practical advantage is that Vivando’s protective coverage can actually be increased by rainfall after application. The product is rainfast after a single hour, but subsequent rain can create vapour pressure that spreads Vivando further. As a lipophilic (fat loving) compound, the released Vivando is drawn towards and absorbed into the waxy cuticle of the leaf. That extra spread also provides added protection for new shoots and within tight bunches of grapes.

“Growers can use Vivando up to four times a season in rotation with other products,” Serge states. “We hope it will be used in a program with other BASF products like Kumulus DF, Cabrio and Filan, but obviously there are plenty of PM products in the market.

“The important news for agronomists to share with growers is that more robust, cost-effective PM programs can now be built around Vivando. Their customers can then be confident they’ll get sustained, reliable control plus a great return on investment, and not stay too dependent on products that they’ve already been using for years.”