Segway Fungicide

Cyazofamid is a selective Oomycete fungicide developed by ISK Biotech. It is the active in Segway fungicide, which is the newest turf chemical for pythium control in Australia. It is in FRAC group 21.

This means it is an ideal rotation option in any resistance management program. We think that any turf agronomist worth their salt will admit that this is the go to option if there is a problem with pythium.

For those who don’t want to read on, here are the Segway Label and the Segway SDS. Segway is for use in both professional turf and lawn disease control, and is in 500ml and 1L packs.

Being a Qil (Quinone inside Inhibitor), Segway controls Pythium and attacks oomycetes fungi by respiratory inhibition at Complex III in the mitochondria. Segway inhibits all stages of the oomycete’s development, and works as a preventative and curative treatment. 

Fungicide properties

Segway is long lasting giving 14 to 28 days of pythium control from one application. Once you apply it, it locks onto waxy leaf surfaces. It then penetrates the plant and has translaminar mobility for excellent coverage, being rainfast after application. The active, cyazofamid has low water solubility and spreads well on the leaf surface.

Due to its excellent rainfast characteristics Segway Fungicide sticks to and remains on the leaf, so maximising its performance as a protectant fungicide.

Segway Resistance Management.

Although this is a new active with a new mode of action for the Australian turf industry now is the time to adopt a management strategy to delay the development of any resistance in the future.

The US label states that you can apply Segway fungicide two times consecutively, and up to three times per year at the high label rate, and six times per year at the low rate. This flexibility, plus the fact that Segway has no known cross-resistance with other classes of fungicides, make it a great option for resistance programs.

Segway is an ideal resistance management option in conjunction with ProForce Shrapnel and ProForce Solitaire.

The table below shows a suggested use schedule.

Diseases controlled

Segway fungicide controls all pythium sp which includes:

• Pythium root dysfunction;
• Damping-off;
• Pythium root rot and
• Pythium blight.

Segway Fungicide Trials for Pythium.

Trials into the effect of irrigation on Segway fungicide show that if you water it in after use, you get a fivefold increase in cyazofamid residue (32.4% to 36% of the amount applied) in the 0 – 25mm soil depth. This compares to if you delay irrigation for six hours after treatment (5.3% to 5.5%).

Segway fungicide Label and Segway fungicide SDS.

Segway Fungicide for Pythium blight (Pythium aphanidermatum)

Prevention of pythium blight

•  A trial at the University of wisconsin in 2021 shows that a Segway treatment 1 day before covering with Evergreen covers is the only treatment to provide acceptable turf quality.

Control of Pythium Blight.

Pythium Root Rot

There two different pythium root rot diseases caused by two different Pythium sp. On creeping bentgrass, root rot is called Pythium root dysfunction (PRD), and Pythium volutum causes this.

However, on Poa annua, this disease is called Pythium root rot and is caused by several Pythium species. The Pythium sp that cause damage to turf roots are different from Pythium aphanidermatum, which causes Pythium blight, a foliar disease.

As Oomycetes, these are referred to as water moulds, and they tend to be a problem in periods of high rainfall in the Spring and Summer.

The best treatment for Pythium root dysfunction is Segway. You should water this in after use to move it down into the upper root zone and crown area.

For Pythium root rot, there is not as much information on which treatments work the best. However, there are reports of Segway, Subdue, Banol, and Terrazole all working well.

Pythium Root Dysfunction  (Pythium volutum and pythium sp)

Preventative

• Cyazofamid gives moderate preventative control of Pythium root dysfunction.
• Use in Autumn and Spring of Pyraclostrobin, Azoxystrobin, and cyazofamid suppress Pythium Root Dysfunction in the Summer. Pyraclostrobin is one of the actives present in the combination fungicide Lexicon Intrinsic.

Pythium Root Rot

Root rot favours periods of wet weather and symptoms appear as irregular patterns of orange and yellow hues.

Prevention

• This disease is worse where there is an excess thatch or in poorly drained areas. The key to managing it is to carry out regular cultural practices such as aerification, vertical mowing, and topdressing.
• You need to time preventative applications to manage Pythium root rot, so if you’re going to have many days of rain then it’s a good time to think about spraying.
• Trials have shown that you get the best preventative control of Pythium root rot when you apply cyazofamid before the soil temperature reaches 24 ℃.

Curative control

• Cyazofamid performs well as a curative application.
• Applications at the low rate (2.8 L/Ha) over 14 to 21 day intervals are as effective as applying the high rate (5.6 L/Ha).

Buy Segway Fungicide.