Domark Fungicide Gains Section 18 Approval in Soybeans for Rust in 28 States By www.stopsoybeanrust.com

3/14/2005 - WALNUT CREEK, Ca. - Domark® fungicide (tetraconazole) has received Section 18 Emergency Quarantine Exemptions for use on soybeans in 28 states for the control of Asian soybean rust.

Domark, a triazole fungicide to be marketed by Valent U.S.A. Corporation in the United States, was granted the Sec. 18 exemptions for Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The product Web page shows Sec. 18 exemption requests for Colorado, Tennessee and New Jersey still awaiting approval as of March 14, 2005.

According to the company news release, Domark has been used extensively by growers for soybean rust in Brazil in both preventative and curative treatment programs.

The product "has a proven track record for superior control of Asian soybean rust," said Jamie Nielson, Domark product manager, helping growers "protect soybean investments and minimize yield losses from Asian soybean rust."

With both preventative and curative activity, Domark provides dual action to protect yields by preventing infection even under heavy disease pressure and helps reduce the potential for future rust outbreaks by stopping the disease if it is already present in the field, the release stated.

"Valent is excited to be able to offer growers a single product that gives them both preventative and curative activity on Asian soybean rust with extended residual control," Nielson said.

Domark’s 230 ME (micro-emulsion) formulation is designed specifically to treat Asian soybean rust in the U.S. soybean crop. Domark can provide protection against Asian soybean rust for more than three weeks, the company said. The fungicide protects newly-emerging plant growth for 21 days or longer after treatment as it translocates inside the tissues and upward through the plant.

Nielson said that Domark will be submitted for full Section 3 registration from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for soybeans in 2005. Domark is a registered trademark of Isagro USA.(Tetraconazole product information from Isagro here). Isagro USA is the U.S. subsidiary of Isagro SpA, the integrated agricultural chemical company based in Italy that invented and developed the product.

Source: News release from Valent USA. In the release, the company recommended checking the map at www.valent.com/domark for specific state Sec. 18 registrations prior to recommending or using Domark in a state.

www.stopsoybeanrust.com Vance Publishing