New Biofungicide Approved for Disease Control in Ornamentals

Posted by Brian Sparks|December 14, 2017

Certis USA, a manufacturer of biopesticides, recently introduced Carb-O-Nator, a new broad-spectrum foliar fungicide that works on contact to control powdery mildew, Alternaria, Anthracnose, Botrytis, Septoria leaf spot, and other diseases.

Carb-O-Nator is registered for use on ornamental, greenhouse, and nursery plants. Its active ingredient, potassium bicarbonate, is known for its proven efficacy against plant disease, coupled with its high level of safety to workers, bees, wildlife, and the environment. Because it works on contact, Carb-O-Nator is suitable for use in disease resistance management programs. Carb-O-Nator has a reentry interval (REI) of four hours, a zero-day pre-harvest interval, and is residue exempt. It is NOP (USDA’s National Organics Program) compliant and OMRI listed.

“We’ve been looking for an effective curative fungicide to add to our offering, and Carb-O-Nator fit the need and our product line,” says Tim Damico, Executive Vice President, NAFTA, of Certis USA. “We were not necessarily satisfied with the current formulations that were being marketed in the U.S., so we built a better formulation to maximize foliar disease control.”

The Carb-O-Nator formulation contains 85% potassium bicarbonate by weight. The other 15% includes a proprietary co-adjuvant blend developed by Certis that allows the soluble powder to dissolve readily in the mixing tank, eliminates the need for a spreader sticker, has superior spreading characteristics, and is a low-foaming formulation. Through a combination of osmotic pressure, pH, and the activity of carbonate and bicarbonate ions, Carb-O-Nator quickly eradicates foliar diseases.