Xivana^® Prime provides Hunter Valley vineyard with new option for downy mildew control

Downy mildew is one of the worst fungal diseases in viticulture, so when a solution in the form of Xivana^® Prime hit the marketplace, James Lusby from Tintilla Estate Wines jumped at the opportunity and was the first in the world to purchase the product.

Based in the Hunter Valley where high humidity levels can result in increased disease risk, Tintilla Estate Wines is always looking for new options to help with controlling the disease, which is one of the most damaging they experience in their vineyard. 

Facing issues of resistance and with limited fungicides available to them to control downy mildew, James, who is the Head Viticulturist at the New South Wales winery, says the addition of Xivana Prime into their sustainable pest and disease management program is a welcome one.

Image: Head Viticulturist at Tintilla Estate Wines James Lusby says Xivana Prime’s flexible use rates offer the significant benefit of being able to treat grapes later in the season.

“Resistance has been a problem for us over the years, so we're trying to find products whenever we can to add to our armoury and help us out. When I was first introduced to Xivana Prime, I thought it sounded like a great option for us, so I decided to trial it for the season,” James explains.

Being a very wet season, Xivana Prime came at the perfect time and was a game changer for the winery. Thanks to its flexible use rates, James says they were able to treat their grapevines later in the season, which offered significant benefits. 

“Xivana Prime really helped us out this year because we had quite a difficult season. It was very wet to start with a lot of leftover winter rain, so we struggled to get onto the vineyard at the beginning of the season. To have that other option with a later application really helped us out,” James says.

“I think it's important to have something that you can apply at a slightly later stage than some of the other chemicals that are available, and that’s a real benefit of Xivana Prime.”

But that’s not the only advantage of this new fungicide. Nutrien Ag Solutions Viticultural Agronomist Nigel Wagstaffe says Xivana Prime offers a suite of benefits for growers and has significant potential for reliable downy mildew control in grapes. 

Image: Nutrien Ag Solutions Viticultural Agronomist Nigel Wagstaffe says Xivana Prime has significant potential for reliable downy mildew control in grapes and will help with resistance management.

“Xivana Prime offers a unique mode of action within the Australian viticultural industry. It's Group 49 chemistry, which gives us a valuable option in controlling or resistance management for downy mildew,” Nigel explains. 

“Some of the key benefits of Xivana Prime are that it has a very low dose rate, very good rain fastness, has very good compatibility, and is efficacious. It also has an extended period of activity of 10 to 21 days and is very soft on beneficials, in particular bees.

“Another key benefit is that it is quite flexible in its use rates, as it can be used early or later in the season. The prime window that we try to target is the flowering, fruit-set period, but with Xivana Prime, it allows us to extend the application window out to E-L 31 in that pre-bunch closure period, which gives us quite good control late in the season.”

Image: Tintilla Estate Wines in the Hunter Valley was the first vineyard in the world to purchase Xivana Prime for the control of downy mildew in grapes. 

Nigel says there are not many products available that offer a later application window, so Xivana Prime is an exciting addition for the industry and will be a good fit. The fungicide is one he will continue to recommend to his growers, particularly after impressive results were observed at the Hunter Valley winery.

“At Tintilla Estate Wines, very little downy mildew was observed in the blocks that were treated with Xivana Prime, and we found that control was as good, if not better, than products currently used within the spray program,” he says.

Given the range of benefits, Nigel says this new fungicide from Bayer will offer significant advantages not just in Australia, but globally.

“Downy mildew is a disease that affects grapes worldwide and can severely impact yields. So, to have a new Group 49 chemistry available for resistance management worldwide, I think this will be significant and something to really get excited about,” Nigel says.

Image: Xivana Prime is highly effective in controlling downy mildew in grapes when applied in combination with a registered protectant fungicide.

To ensure the ongoing effectiveness of this mode of action in the grower’s toolkit, Xivana Prime should be used as part of a protective program.  When applied following conditions that are conducive to downy mildew, it can provide effective protection, if it is applied before oil spots are visible. Resistance management guidelines also recommend that Xivana Prime be used in mixture with another registered downy mildew product. 

For more information on Xivana Prime, explore the Bayer website, contact your local Bayer representative or preferred distributor, and refer to the product label. 

Xivana^® is a Registered Trademark of the Bayer Group.