Captan FL

An effective and easy-to-use flowable seed treatment for Corn, Beans, Soybeans, Peas and Sugar beet

Summary

Captan Flowable is a seed treatment that protects seeds from storage rot. This multi-site fungicide also protects seeds and seedlings after planting against seed decay, root rot, damping-off and seedling blights. Captan is easy to apply and has been used successfully by commercial seed treaters for over 40 years. Research results continue to show that Captan Flowable is highly effective against seed and seedling diseases that reduce plant stand and yield. The low impact of Captan Flowable on beneficial organisms and the environment makes it the fungicide of choice in a seed treatment program.

Introduction
Many factors affect seed quality. Growing and harvesting conditions can reduce seed vigour the following spring. Conditions during storage may also impact seed quality. Furthermore, most soils and seeds contain diseases that will affect plant establishment, plant stand and crop yield.

Seed treatments are used on a wide range of crops to protect seeds and seedlings during the critical first weeks after planting against diseases or insects thus maximizing yield potential. It is even more critical to protect seeds when planting in early spring when there is a high risk of cold wet conditions that slow down the germination process.

Captan Flowable is a seed treatment fungicide registered for use on beans (snap, dry and lima), field corn, sweet corn, soybeans, peas and sugar beet. This multi-site fungicide has a long record of proven performance and good value.

Mode of Action

Captan Flowable is a carboximide fungicide that acts on susceptible fungi by interrupting respiration within cells. It does this in a number of ways, which is why Captan Flowable is called a multi-site fungicide, an important characteristic in disease resistance management.

Some fungicides act on a single process (single-site activity). With prolonged use of single-site fungicides, fungal organisms can develop resistance making these products ineffective. In fact, Captan Flowable can be used to prolong the usefulness of other fungicides by preventing or breaking the cycle of resistance. It can be combined with single-site fungicides to minimize or delay the development of resistance.

Formulation

Captan Flowable is a cream coloured liquid suspension formulation containing 30% captan. All seeds must be conspicuously coloured at time of treatment to differentiate treated and non-treated seeds. Captan Flowable is available in 20 L plastic pails or 1000 L totes.

Field Use
Research studies continue to prove the versatility and reliability of Captan Flowable as a seed treatment under many climatic and growing conditions in over 40 years of use. Recent university trials evaluated seed treatments using different soil types, tillage and planting methods, seed types and growing conditions. In 13 US researcher trials there was an overall average of 70% increase in yield over untreated check. In these field trials, Captan also shows consistent high performance on plant stand. Furthermore, the trials indicated high efficacy in minimum or no-till planting systems and during extended periods of cold and wet conditions.

Conclusions from other research trials on peas similar to those in Table 6 indicate that: "Where a high level of nitrogen-fixing ability is a priority in the production of peas, lentils or fababeans, the type of seed treatment chemical used should be considered carefully. These chemical effects are not readily evident in comparisons of the extent of nodule establishment on the root system, which suggests that the chemicals affect nodule establishment and activity differently. Comparison of the 1983 data with our findings last year (see 1982 ECPUA Report) suggest that some other factors, such as strain composition in the commercial rhizobium inoculant or root health, may be influencing the effects of the seed treatments on nitrogen-fixation."

Recommendations

Mix the recommended amount of Captan Flowable seed treatment with the amount of water required for the seed treatment equipment.

Captan Flowable Rate Reference Guide

 

Amount of Captan Flowable	Rate/25kg	Rate/1000 kg	Rate/ton	20 L Treats
Beans	70 mL	2.80 L	2.54 L	7143 kg	7.87 tons
Corn – field	50 mL	2.00 L	1.81 L	10000 kg	11.02 tons
*Corn – field	30 mL	1.20 L	1.09 L	16667 kg	18.37 tons
Corn – sweet	85 mL	3.40 L	3.08 L	5882 kg	6.48 tons
*Corn – sweet	60 mL	2.40 L	2.18 L	8333 kg	9.19 tons
Peas	70 mL	2.80 L	2.54 L	7143 kg	7.87 tons
Soybean	70 mL	2.80 L	2.54 L	7143 kg	7.87 tons
Sugar beet	155 mL	6.20 L	5.62 L	3226 kg	3.56 tons

*At this rate Captan Flowable is to be applied by professional applicators using equipment that will assure complete and uniform coverage.

Captan is a broad-spectrum fungicide widely used for the prevention of disease on seed crops, food crops and ornamentals. Across Canada, seed treaters and farmers choose Captan fungicide to prevent disease and produce healthy, wholesome food. Captan poses negligible dietary risk to the consumer and has significant benefits in increased crop yields and quality. In fact, Agriculture Canada determined the total economic benefit of Captan to range between $100 - $150 million per year when measured against increased cost from using alternative fungicides and the value of crop losses where alternatives do not exist.

 

Feature	Advantage	Benefit
Broad spectrum	Protects seeds against major diseases	Maximum stands and yields
Versatility	Applied on a number of seed crops in many soil types under different cultural systems and climatic conditions	Consistent performance in a variety of situations
Easy to apply	Can be applied with all conventional seed treatment application systems	No special equipment needed
Liquid suspension	No need to develop a slurry from a wettable powder	Flows easily through treaters. Maximizes time efficiency
Excellent crop tolerance	Does not affect seed germination	More uniform stands leading to higher yields
Proven fungicide	Prevents many seed storage and seedling diseases	Effective disease protection for over 40 years with no resistance issues
Multi-site fungicide	Alternative to single-site fungicides	Important resistance management tool
Minimal impact on the environment	Non toxic to soil organisms. Rapidly degrades in the soil	No effect on earthworms. No residues in the crop or soil
High acute oral and dermal LD50	Low toxicity	No significant human health hazard, whether to the applicator, workers or consumers when used as per label
Cost effective	Low cost treatment for effective disease control	High return for a little investment

In the US, a special task force was formed in 1985 to generate data required by EPA to support the ongoing registration of Captan. Today, most studies have been completed and are being reviewed by EPA. On an international basis, Captan registration is ongoing and has recently been reregistered in Germany and Australia. The decisions to continue the registration of Captan are a direct result of extensive health and environmental studies showing that Captan provides benefits for crop production and poses no significant health threats to workers when used as directed.

Environmental Aspects

Captan Flowable degrades rapidly in the soil, and when used as directed, will not lead to residue build-up in soil or soil water. It is practically insoluble in water; thus ground water contamination due to leaching is not a concern. Captan is non-toxic to birds, bees and predacious or parasitic insects. Captan Flowable is toxic to fish; do not use near fish bearing waters.

Toxicology and Handling

10.1 Toxicology:The acute oral LD₅₀ for the active ingredient (captan technical) is above 5000 mg/kg of body weight (in Rat). The acute dermal LD₅₀ is also above 5000 mg/kg. Captan Flowable is practically non toxic. It is mildly irritating to skin and eyes and dusts can cause respiratory irritations. For other toxicology information, refer to the product MSDS.

10.2 Handling:Captan Flowable poses no significant human health hazard, whether to the applicators, workers or consumers, when handled and applied according to label directions. For details on handling Captan Flowable, read and follow label directions carefully.

10.3:According to a Captan Task Force report (Winter 1997), a 27-year study demonstrated that long-time workers in a Captan manufacturing plant have experienced no adverse health effects. In fact, cancer rates for workers at the plant are lower than the general population. The long-term health of plant workers will continue to be monitored.

Safety and Precautions

FIRST AID:In case of poisoning, call a physician. If swallowed, give the patient one or two glasses of water and induce vomiting. Continue with water until vomit is clear. Get medical attention. If on skin, wash thoroughly with soap and water. If in eyes, flush with water for 5 to 10 minutes and get medical attention. Refer to the label and MSDS for additional information.

DISPOSAL:Rinse empty containers thoroughly and add rinsings to the treater as appropriate or dispose as waste in accordance with provincial requirements. Follow provincial instructions for any required additional cleaning of the container prior to its disposal. Make the empty container unsuitable for further use. Dispose of container in accordance with provincial requirements. For information on the disposal of unused, unwanted product and the cleanup of spills, contact the Provincial Regulatory Agency or Norac Concepts Inc.

Emergency Number

References

Captan Advanced Learning Centre, ICI Chipman, 1993.
Captan Flowable label, Norac Concepts Inc., 1996.
Captan Flowable MSDS, Norac Concepts Inc., 1996.
Captan literature, Captan Task Force, winter 1997.
Captan Source Book, ICI Chipman, 1992.
Captan Technical Information Bulletin, ICI Chipman, 1992.
Environmental Impact Quotient Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 1993.
Maestro Technical Information Bulletin, Zeneca Agro, 1994.
Seed Treatment Reference Program, Norac Concepts Inc., 1996.
ECPUA Reports.
 

â Vitaflo 280 is a registered trademark of Uniroyal Chemicals Ltd.
© Norac Concepts Inc. 1999

Norac Concepts Inc.
PO Box 62023
Orleans, ON K1C 7H8
(613) 841-2907