Recommended methods of application for vegetable crops and ornamental plants

Contans®WG is a water-dispersible granule which is mixed with water and applied by spraying onto the soil using conventional spraying equipment. The treated soil surface must be well mixed into the upper soil layer by using a soil rotator or other similar machinery.
Under good conditions (soil temperature: 12 to 20 °C (54 to 68°F), sufficient moisture in the soil) C. minitans needs two to three months to destroy the surviving pathogenic structures in the soil. For this reason Contans®WG has to be applied two to three months prior to an anticipated Sclerotinia outbreak.

Conditions

The effectiveness of Contans®WG depends on soil-temperature (optimal 12 - 25 °C / 54 - 77 °F) and on their being sufficient moisture in the soil.
Even at soil temperatures of 5 °C (41 °F) the sclerotia of the pathogen are fully infested by C. minitans within 110 days after a treatment with Contans®WG. If the soil temperature decreases below 0 °C (32 °F) or rises above 27 °C (81 °F), C. minitans stops its activity and rests in the soil, but the fungus will not be destroyed during this period. Once the temperature returns to a temperature between 1 and 27 °C (34 and 81 °F) C. minitans will continue to parasitize the sclerotia.
This enables an application of Contans®WG during cold seasons or previous to the hot seasons in zones of warmer climate.

Rate of Application

The rate of application of Contans®WG depends on the depth of incorporation.

A rate of application of 1 to 2 kg / ha (1 to 2 lbs. / acre) is recommended for the treatment of harvest residues.

Registration

In the European Union the use of Contans®WG in organic farming is licenced in accordance with regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91, Annex II B (II).

Time of application 

At least two to three month prior to planting crops susceptible to sclerotinia rot

Crops which normally get infected by the mycelium growing in the soil must be treated at least two to three months prior to planting / sowing.
After application the soil must not be tilled at a greater depth than Contans®WG has already been incorporated. Otherwise untreated soil will be transferred from the lower to the upper soil layer and induce infection.

Immediately before sowing / planting a susceptible plant, but at least two to three months before an anticipated Sclerotinia-outbreak.

By crops which normally get infected through spores, the product can be applied immediately before sowing / planting, if infection is not anticipated earlier than two to three months after the application.

After harvesting, before incorporating the harvest residues

After the harvest of a crop which has been infected by Sclerotinia spp., the residues are treated with Contans®WG before they are incorporated into the soil. This directly contaminates and eradicates the surviving structures (sclerotia). Re-contamination of the soil with the disease causing fungus is thus effectively prevented.

Before a non-susceptible crop; before the soil lies fallow (e.g. in the fall)

Contans®WG can be applied before the soil lies fallow or directly before sowing / planting a crop which is not susceptible to Sclerotinia. The antagonistic fungus C. minitans then has sufficient time to destroy the pathogenic sclerotia.
Treated soils should not however be ploughed before planting the susceptible crop so as to prevent untreated sclerotia comming from lower soil layers to infest the top soil.