BASF fungicide gets California approval for use on greenhouse tomatoes

BASF said April 7 that California has approved use of the company’s Pageant Intrinsic fungicide to control diseases that affect tomatoes and tomato transplants grown in greenhouses.

The approval of the product’s supplemental label gives commercial greenhouse growers in California an effective way to control a mold that is the primary culprit behind postharvest rot of fresh market tomatoes. The mold can also promote stem wounds caused by supports such as wire and string rubbing against the tomato plants.

Pageant Intrinsic is accepted by growers of greenhouse and nursery ornamental crops for its ability to control the broadest range of plant diseases. The product can be applied by broadcasting or directed spray to control damping off diseases that cause early plant losses. It also controls pathogens that can cause stem girdling, poor root development, lower transplant survivability or total plant loss. Left unchecked, these diseases can affect the overall plant quality and the consumer’s acceptance of the tomato transplant.