Syngenta Launches SEGOVIS® FLORA for Kenya’s Rose Growers

As Kenyan rose growers continue to battle rising cases of downy mildew, Syngenta has introduced a new fungicide solution, SEGOVIS® FLORA, to the local market. The launch comes at a critical time for the country’s commercial floriculture sector, where fluctuating weather conditions and increasing fungicide resistance continue to threaten production and export quality.

Developed specifically for ornamental crops, SEGOVIS® FLORA combines two active ingredients, oxathiapiprolin and mandipropamid, in a dual-action formulation designed to combat oomycete pathogens, particularly Peronospora sparsa, the pathogen responsible for downy mildew in roses.

One of the key strengths of SEGOVIS® FLORA lies in its dual mode of action, which combines two complementary FRAC groups for enhanced disease control. Oxathiapiprolin (FRAC 49) targets oomycete pathogens by disrupting lipid transport and damaging cell membrane integrity through inhibition of the oxysterol binding protein homologue pathway. Meanwhile, mandipropamid (FRAC 40) acts by inhibiting cellulose synthesis and cell wall formation, preventing the pathogen from developing during the initial stages of infection.

Down Mildew remains one of the most economically damaging challenges for rose growers, especially under cool and humid conditions that favour rapid infection and spread. According to Syngenta, the new product offers both preventative and curative activity, with residual protection lasting up to 21 days under suitable application conditions.

The formulation is rapidly absorbed into plant tissue, improving rainfastness and ensuring protection of newly emerging foliage. It also supports resistance management by combining complementary modes of action that target different stages of pathogen development.

Syngenta recommends SEGOVIS® FLORA for both greenhouse and outdoor rose production at a rate of 0.7L/ha as part of an integrated disease management program. The company says the product is also compatible with beneficial insects and biological control systems commonly used in integrated pest management programs.

With growers under pressure to maintain export-quality blooms while reducing disease losses, the introduction of SEGOVIS® FLORA is expected to strengthen disease control options within Kenya’s flower industry.