MasterCop

MasterCop®. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

Mana has launched a new copper complex fungicide/bactericide called MasterCop®. Dave Feist is the Development Project Manager for MANA Crop Protection who says the product has received EPA approval.

FEIST: It’s the same but it’s very different. Copper isn’t a new product, it’s the oldest crop protection agent I think we’ve got these days. It’s probably - if you look at Bordeaux mix out of Bordeaux, France right, coppers probably 250 years old but there’s many generations, things that have changed copper in the years and we’re excited because we think we’ve probably got the latest edge in copper.

I asked Feist how MasterCop® has made copper better.

FEIST: The reason why it sticks around to start with is the fact that it has multi-site action so it’s always been general and while there is some resistance there is very little because it’s a multi-site product. But why we’re excited about MasterCop® is the fact that it goes from having solid copper, which is basically metallic copper which is complex with hydroxide. It’s still elemental copper. Think of it as little chunks, right? They’re very fine but they’re still elemental copper.

He says the copper is ionized which puts it into suspension.

FEIST: We have a form of copper that actually goes into being a through solution and it’s a different complex than some. While copper may be the same there’s copper hydroxide, there’c copper oxychloride, copper sulfate, copper sulfate pentahydrate which is the technology we’re using. They all deliver but they all deliver in a little different way. Instead of having the little chunks out there it’s ionized and that means is you’ve got hundreds of thousands of biological units. They’re very small but they’re all over.

MasterCop's penetration into the plant cuticle improves performance per pound of active ingredient. This novel uptake system also enhances retention and residual activity while providing superior safety to the crop.

FEIST: It’s really a delivery mechanism to make sure that it gets on the plant; get good coverage everywhere and that it stays in the cuticle so it’s retained and it can do it’s job. Because again we’re in a true solution, it’s really easy to handle. No issues with inventory from year to year. Freezing, while we don’t recommend it, it has no impact on it. It doesn't wear down your nozzles as fast so it allows for more precise application. Plus you don’t need to use as much elemental copper on a per acre basis.

MasterCop® delivers superior bioactivity for the control of bacterial and fungal diseases on citrus, vegetables, tree nuts, small fruits, vines and field crops.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.