Cymoxanil for Potato Late Blight Control
In states where potatoes are an economically important crop, late blight is recognized as a serious fungal disease that can diminish crop yields substantially. Serious outbreaks of late blight often need to be controlled with a chemical fungicide. One fungicide approved for use against the pathogen that causes late blight is cymoxanil. Does this Spark an idea?
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Cymoxanil
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The chemical cymoxanil is used in two capacities when growing potatoes, as a seed treatment to cut potato seeds and as a foliar spray to control the disease late blight. Trade names under which cymoxanil is sold include Curzate, Sygan, Syphal and many others. In addition to potato crops, cymoxanil is also used on grapes, potatoes, tomatoes, hops, sugarbeets and other fruits and vegetables.
For Potato Blight Control
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There are two methods for late blight control offered by cymoxanil. Potato late blight often occurs as a seed-borne disease, so cymoxanil compounds (usually also including manzoceb) are sometimes used to treat potato seeds and eliminate the late blight pathogenic fungus before crops are planted. Other cymoxanil mixtures are sprayed as a "rescue treatment" onto potato plants that have already been infected with late blight.
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Effectiveness
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According to the University of Idaho, cymoxanil, when used as a preventative seed treatment, can be effective at eliminating late blight pathogens from potato seeds unless the seed lot is "badly infested," in which case no fungicide can stop the spread of the disease. Cymoxanil used a foliar spray can be effective as well but, as is usually the case with fungicides, only when a correct application technique is used to broadcast the fungicide throughout the crop.
Risk Evaluation
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Cornell University Extension Toxicology Network have both examined cymoxanil for any potential health or environmental risks it may pose. The latter source found no acute or chronic toxicity and found that cymoxanil does not appear to be carcinogenic to humans. The EPA reached generally the same conclusions on the safety of cymoxanil.
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References
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension Publications; Late Blight Control Checklist; Leigh Morrow & Steven B. Johnson
- Cornell University Extension Toxicology Network; Cymoxanil
- University of Idaho Extension; Chemical Control of Potato Late Blight
- Environmental Protection Agency; Cymoxanil Fact Sheet
