Seed potato growers, among other vegetable and fruit producers, can this year expect a new aphid control that spares the insects who also control aphids.
Ag retailer UAP Canada will distribute FMC Corporation’s new Beleaf 50SG, a flonicamid insecticide from the pyridinecarboxamide class (Group 9C), sold in a soluble granule formulation that dissolves in the tank for application by boom-and-nozzle sprayer or by air blast.
Application rate will vary according to the species of aphid in a given crop, as well as the level of insect pressure and the amount of foliage present, FMC country manager David Strilchuk said in a release last week.
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In the Canadian market, the green peach aphid is one of the “major pests of concern” Beleaf 50SG can control, the companies said.
The green peach aphid transmits potato virus Y in seed potatoes, affecting production through its impact on tubers and, in the worst cases, rendering potatoes unmarketable, the companies said.
“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,” UAP product manager Brodie Blair said in the release.
Other crops on the Beleaf label include brassica, cucurbits, fruiting vegetables, hops, leafy vegetables, root vegetables, pome fruits and stone fruits.
The product causes “rapid feeding cessation in aphids,” the companies said, noting Beleaf 50SG is active on contact and ingestion and controls both younger and adult stage aphids.
“Mortality may take two to five days, depending on the rate of dehydration, and insects may remain on the plant until they desiccate,” Strilchuk said.
The product also offers residual activity, lasting from one to three weeks after application, depending on environmental conditions, he said.
From a rotation perspective, the companies said, any crop listed on the Beleaf label may be replanted anytime after an application of the product and all other crops may be planted 30 days after the last application of Beleaf.
Pre-harvest intervals for fruit and vegetable crops range from zero for several crops to 31 days for hops.
Beleaf “has no demonstrated resistance or cross-resistance issues and is suitable for inclusion as part of an integrated pest management program,” the companies said.
