February 8, 2011, Dorchester, Ont – Growers of fruit and vegetable crops including seed potatoes, brassica, cucurbits, fruiting vegetables, hops, leafy vegetables, root vegetables, pome fruits and stone fruits, have an effective new tool available for the control of aphid populations.
February 8, 2011, Dorchester, Ont – Growers of fruit and vegetable crops including seed potatoes, brassica, cucurbits, fruiting vegetables, hops, leafy vegetables, root vegetables, pome fruits and stone fruits, have an effective new tool available for the control of aphid populations.
Beleaf™ 50SG is a selective insecticide that controls several aphid species while preserving a number of beneficial insects that prey on aphids, including various beetles, mites and bugs.
Beleaf 50SG is a Group 9C product with the active ingredient flonicamid. Beleaf 50SG belongs to the pyridinecarboxamide class of chemistry and comes in a soluble granule formulation that dissolves in the tank. It may be applied by a boom and nozzle field sprayer or by air blast.
“The application rate is dependent on the species of aphid in the crop, as well as the level of insect pressure and the amount of foliage present,” says David Strilchuk, country manager for FMC Corporation.
Aphids are known to feed by piercing plant tissue and sucking out plant juices. The damage they cause by feeding varies from crop to crop, but visual symptoms include cupping and curling of leaves, as well as mold on some crops. Aphids are also known to transmit viruses in certain crops.
In Canada, the green peach aphid is one of the major pests of concern that is controlled by Beleaf 50SG, as it is responsible for the transmission of Potato Virus Y in seed potatoes. Potato Virus Y is a serious disease that negatively impacts production due to the impact on tubers. In the worst cases, Potato Virus Y can render potatoes unmarketable.
“One of the keys to effective aphid control is to apply the product before populations reach significant economic thresholds associated with more severe damage and before damaging populations become established,” says Janet Porchak, national marketing and communications manager for UAP in Canada, which is a distributor of Beleaf 50SG.
Beleaf 50SG works by causing rapid feeding cessation in aphids.
“Beleaf 50SG is active on contact and ingestion,” Strilchuk says, adding that both younger and adult stage aphids are controlled by the product. “Mortality may take two to five days, depending on the rate of dehydration and insects may remain on the plant until they desiccate.”
According to Strilchuk, Beleaf 50SG also has good residual activity, lasting from one to three weeks after application, depending on environmental conditions.
From a crop rotation perspective, any crop listed on the Beleaf 50SG product label may be replanted any time after an application of the product and all other crops may be planted 30 days after the last application of Beleaf 50SG. Pre-harvest intervals for fruit and vegetable crops range from 0 days for several crops to 31 days for hops.
Beleaf 50SG has no demonstrated resistance or cross-resistance issues and is suitable for inclusion as part of an integrated pest management program.
For more information, visit www.uap.ca or www.fmc.com.
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