Dr. Kaushik Banerjee
FRSC, FNAAS, Director, ICAR-NRC for Grapes, Honorary Professor, Queen's University Belfast & University of Laval, Canada
Making the science-backed case for why Mancozeb still matters — and how stewardship, IPM, and risk-based regulation can secure its role in global agriculture.
Few crop protection tools have shaped modern agriculture as profoundly as Mancozeb. As a multi-site EBDC fungicide, it has protected millions of hectares of potatoes, vegetables, bananas, grapes, and cereals for over 50 years. Today, its future hangs in the balance: regulatory withdrawals in Europe and ongoing reviews elsewhere threaten to remove one of the most effective resistance-management tools from grower programs worldwide.
This webinar will make the science-backed case for why Mancozeb still matters. Leading plant pathologists will unpack data showing its unmatched ability to suppress late blight (Phytophthora infestans), downy mildew, and foliar diseases while safeguarding the performance of single-site fungicides such as QoIs and SDHIs. Agronomic modelers will present scenarios quantifying what happens when mancozeb is removed — including 20–30% higher fungicide program costs and yield losses of up to 10% in high-pressure seasons — and the cascading effects on farm profitability and global food prices.
The session shall focus on the importance of risk-based, rather than hazard-based, regulatory decision-making, emphasizing that modern stewardship practices, PPE compliance, and residue monitoring can mitigate exposure risks. A dynamic panel of experts will then explore how Mancozeb can be integrated into forward-looking IPM strategies, paired with digital forecasting tools, and supported by grower training to maximize efficacy while minimizing environmental footprint.
The webinar will conclude with a call-to-action: maintain access to Mancozeb as a critical part of the disease management arsenal until equally effective, scalable, and affordable alternatives are widely available. Participants will walk away with a clear, science-driven roadmap for defending Mancozeb's place in global agriculture and securing food systems against escalating disease threats.
The irreplaceable role of mancozeb's multi-site action in stopping late blight and downy mildew before resistance explodes.
The hidden cost of withdrawal: lower yields, higher imports, and inflation that hits both farmers and consumers.
Why hazard-based bans oversimplify and risk dismantling proven plant protection systems.
How predictive modelling, precision spraying, and better stewardship can keep mancozeb safe and sustainable.
A science-driven transition plan that protects grower economics until viable, scalable alternatives are field-ready.
Mancozeb's multi-site action is our best line of defense against resistant late blight & downy mildew.
Pulling mancozeb means higher crop losses, higher costs, and higher food prices globally.
Risk-based, not hazard-based, rules keep fields productive and consumers protected.
Stewardship, precision spraying & weather-driven forecasts make mancozeb safer and more sustainable.
A phased, science-led plan is needed to protect yields while scaling up future-ready solutions.
FRSC, FNAAS, Director, ICAR-NRC for Grapes, Honorary Professor, Queen's University Belfast & University of Laval, Canada
Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology), ICAR-NRC for Grapes
Strategic Marketing Head, Indofil
Senior Business Development Manager, Ross LifeScience
Global Director Trade and Government Affairs, UPL
Deputy Executive Editor, Agrospectrum Asia & India