Bayer: Chipco Signature not related to alleged issues with ALT 70

To mitigate concerns with alleged issues regarding a generic fosetyl-aluminum (fosetyl-Al) fungicide, Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience, has announced in a news release that Bayer does not manufacture — nor does it have any relationship with — ArmorTech ALT 70 fungicide. ALT 70 is a generic product that United Turf Alliance recently issued a voluntary stop-sale notice of due to alleged turfgrass damage on bentgrass and Poa putting greens, collars and approaches.

Recent allegations surrounding “compromised turf” caused by a generic fungicide have superintendents concerned, particularly in regard to active ingredients. Bayer says Chipco Signature, a member of the Stressgard Formulation Technology family, shares a similar active ingredient with ALT 70, but has offered an entirely different formulation that has been trusted by superintendents for more than two decades.

The proprietary formulation varies significantly from the generic and distinguishes Chipco Signature in the market, according to Bayer. To date, there have been no reported issues with Chipco Signature as it relates to the voluntary recall of ALT 70.

“At Bayer, we understand the critical importance of selecting effective and reliable products to help keep turfgrass performing at its peak, particularly on greens,” says Mike Hirvela, fungicide product manager for the professional turf and ornamentals business at Bayer. “While alleged issues have been reported by other products, Bayer has remained fully committed to developing cutting-edge technology with plant health and turf safety in all weather conditions at the core of its business. Additionally, we offer world-class support with our Green Solutions Team to help provide superintendents with the ultimate reliability and peace of mind they’ve come to expect from Bayer.”