A NEW WA developed biological fungicide program could help fight against sclerotinia stem rot in canola.
ERA Sustainable Farming, owned by George Kailis and Lesley Maher, is trialling the new program in conjunction with Elders Moora this year.
The company works with the University of WA and Murdoch University in developing biological products to improve soil health and disease control.
Ms Maher said the group "translates academic principle to on-farm practice".
This year, 5000 litres of the ERA biological product will be tested by growers around Moora.
The product is applied with other fungicides or as a stand alone spray on the canola crop, with a follow-up soil drench application prior to seeding next year.
When applied at 5L/hectare, the cost of product works out to be $12/ha excluding spraying costs.
The WA-manufactured product contains a tonic, inoculant and active ingredient and works by boosting the soil's microbial activity and improving the crop's immune system.
Standard and biological soil testing was completed prior to seeding and VAM root and tissue testing will be conducted during the crop life cycle to check the soil's health and plant disease control.
Ms Maher said sclerotinia disease pressure is expected to be strong this year due to the favourable seasonal conditions, giving growers a good opportunity to see the product at work.
She said while protecting the plant from disease, fungicide coatings on fertiliser or seed can inhibit healthy microbial activity in the soil.But the ERA product to be trialled this year increases the activity of good soil bacteria to deter the growth of bad or harmful bacteria.
"The product works in two ways - it boosts the plant's immune system which helps fight the fungal disease and also acts as a chelate for the fungicide," she said.
"The soil drench the following season helps to knock out the sclerotinia in the soil, allowing growers to potentially grow canola on canola the following year."
While growers will need to maintain fungicide rates, the use of the biological product could see a reduction in long-term chemical use as soil health improves.
Elders WA technical services manager Bill Moore said the trial was part of a larger program by Elders to explore disease control options. He said Elders was also considering options such as plant breeding, chemicals and different farming practices to reduce disease pressure.
"We are trialling biological products and we are interested in exploring all options as part of an integrated approach to fungal disease control," Mr Moore said.
"It's important to have an open mind in regards to biological products and we're keen to explore and understand how they can work in with current practices."
ERA Sustainable Farming is also working on an integrated soil biology program.
The company is charting the program's progress through standard and biological soil testing and plant tissue testing.
