Protecting over 70 crops from over 400 fungal diseases
Worldwide, EBDC fungicides control approximately 400 fungal diseases on over 70 crops. EBDCs are registered on 52 crops in the United States, with potatoes, apples, tomatoes, cucurbits (cucumbers and melons), lettuce, peppers, broccoli, and onions being the major uses.
EBDC fungicides are protectant fungicides and they are used on a preventive application schedule. They stay on the surface of a plant and protect against fungal infection. They are not systemic agents, that is, they are not absorbed inside the plant. Because the EBDCs remain on the surface of the crop, the residues can be readily removed from harvested crops by normal food preparation practices such as washing, peeling, trimming, etc.
Some key factors encouraging EBDC use are their:
Excellent utility as resistance management tools
High compatibility with other products
Usefulness as key components of IPM programs
Broad-spectrum control
Lack of significant adverse effects to humans and the environment
- Resistance management. EBDCs are excellent resistance management tools. Because the EBDCs act at multiple sites in the fungal organisms, no resistance to EBDC fungicides has ever been observed, even after over 50 years of use. In contrast, many of the newer site-specific systemic fungicides have encountered resistance within a short period after commercial introduction. When mixed or rotated with the EBDCs for resistance management, the lifetime of effective use for the single-site products can be extended.
- Compatibility with other products. EBDC fungicides are compatible with other crop protection products and are widely used as mixing partners with such products. For example, EBDC fungicides can be mixed with copper compounds to control both fungal and bacterial diseases.
- Utility in IPM programs. EBDC fungicides are especially suited for partnering in many of today’s integrated pest management (IPM) programs. They are the backbone of many IPM programs in perennial crops because they are so compatible with other pest control agents, do not injure crops, provide control of multiple crop diseases, and help maintain the effectiveness of disease specific fungicides.
- Broad spectrum control. EBDC fungicides control approximately 400 diseases on over 70 crops world wide.
- Lack of significant adverse effects. EBDC fungicides are not especially hazardous materials. They have been used for over fifty years with no reports of significant adverse effects when the product is used according to the label. Due to their rapid degradation in soil and water, EBDCs and their degradation products do not persist in the environment.
Learn more details about the major diseases controlled by EBDCs.
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