A program developed by UPL seeks to provide growers with guidance on taking an integrated crop health approach. Technical Services Manager for UPL North America, Cassie Rieser explained their ProNutiva program is a comprehensive methodology for addressing a variety of issues.
“ProNutiva combines powerful conventional products with our sustainable biosolutions from our natural plant-protection portfolio in order to create an integrated program,” said Rieser. We’ve actually seen this to be successfully put into practice in a variety of trials, achieving positive results in both disease and pest control as well as increasing plant stress tolerance and crop quality metrics.”
Trials in a variety of crops including grapes and tree nuts have shown to be successful in helping growers achieve desired outcomes. One of the ways that the ProNutiva approach has shown promise is in helping combat bloom diseases in walnuts. Rieser said that growers dealing with walnut blight in orchards with copper resistance have found success using the integrated crop health approach.
“With a rotational plan and incorporation of different materials, different fungicidal materials, growers can help combat that resistance,” said Rieser. “For example, a rotation of a mancozeb and copper, being the more traditional chemistries put into place, plus incorporating a product like UPL’s KASUMIN in there, help to really combat these resistance issues. It’s a great example of how ProNutiva can be implemented in the field.”
The integrated system-led approach to crop protection can address various issues simultaneously. Also, growers looking to exclusively confront soil health issues, or increase overall crop protection can do so through the program. Rieser noted that the ProNutiva program can be adapted to suit a host of different grower priorities. “So, depending on disease, depending on growers’ goals…we can customize our approach to include any or all of these metrics,” Rieser explained.
Listen to the full episode below.