The countdown to the launch of a new tool in the fight to manage many common fungal diseases has begun.
Corteva has targeted fall 2027 to launch its Emiox specialty fungicide with Adavelt active for use on golf course turf.
With the active ingredient florylpicoxamid, Emiox will be formulated for preventive and curative control of common, fungal diseases on golf course greens, such as anthracnose and dollar spot. It compliments resistance-management programs without compromising playability, the company says.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved Emiox in July, and it is scheduled for availability next fall.
The active ingredient florylpicoxamid targets a unique target location within the fungus that allows it to bind to the pathogen for preventive control of anthracnose as well as curative control if applied early in the disease cycle.
It also provides control of dollar spot when conditions are favorable for low to moderate disease pressure.
Anthracnose is one of the most common and damaging diseases on golf turf. It appears as either foliar blight or basal rot, and while it can occur across turf types, annual bluegrass is especially susceptible. It also can occur in creeping bentgrass. Disease development is most common from late-spring through early-fall conditions that place turf under prolonged stress — namely hot, humid and overcast conditions.
“The way superintendents manage greens — low mowing heights, careful water and nitrogen use, heavy play and intense expectations for speed and consistency — creates a near-constant level of stress,” said Beverly Horton, Corteva marketing leader, in a news release. “When summer heat arrives, those conditions can quickly favor anthracnose development.”
Adavelt active is derived from a naturally occurring microbe found in soil. As a Group 21 fungicide, Emiox has no known cross-resistance to other widely used fungicides, the company says, making it a good tank mix option for other fungicide programs. Emiox also has very low toxicity to nontarget organisms, such as birds, bees and earthworms, Horton said.
“Many anthracnose programs depend heavily on combinations of triazoles, strobilurins or chlorothalonil,” Horton said. “Emiox specialty fungicide will give superintendents a practical summertime tank-mix partner that delivers strong anthracnose performance, meaningful dollar spot control when disease pressure is low to moderate, and a different site of action to help address a critical gap in resistance management rotations.”
