New Biofungicide Offers Disease Control and Plant Health Benefits

Certis Biologicals has launched Convergence biofungicide, a new crop protection offering that blends disease control and plant health into one product. 

Convergence can be used in corn, soybeans and peanuts and protects against diseases caused by pythium, rhizoctonia, fusarium and phytophthora, as well as tar spot, rusts and leaf spots.

According to the company, the bio-based product protects the crops using naturally occurring microorganisms that also preserve soil and plant health and do not create a negative effect on beneficial insects. 

“The flexibility and power of Convergence set it apart from existing products on the market. It can be applied whenever is most convenient for a farmer’s next planned trip across the field,” said Eric Luce, global portfolio manager of row crops at Certis Biologicals. “Farmers can use Convergence to effectively manage resistance, control disease and improve plant health without making an extra pass.”

Convergence has been tested on fields throughout the Midwest and can be applied through in-furrow or foliar applications. It also has no special storage requirements and can be tank-mixed with nearly any synthetic application. 

“In field trials, Convergence has shown it can help increase corn yields compared to zinc starter fertilizer alone,” said Shaun Berry, vice president of research and development at Certis Biologicals. “When applied in-furrow, Convergence has shown the ability to help increase yields in soybeans compared to no treatment.”