PHOTO: KOOS GROENEWOLD
CROP PROTECTION ▶▶▶
Three new pesticide technologies set to help arable farmers
BY LOUISE IMPEY W
hile most of these new prod- ucts are at least 5 years away from commercialisation, there are innovations with potential
on the horizon – some of which are still shrouded in secrecy.
Launched in a mix Bayer has a third-generation SDHI, isoflu- cypram, in development. Early indications sug- gest that it is effective against all of the main foliar pathogens of wheat and barley, although it has not been approved or subjected to regu- latory process. “Isoflucpyram offers a step up in septoria control. It also brings rust control equivalent to the best products on the market.” says Will Charlton of Bayer. He confirms that the company will launch it in a mix with other chemistry, reflecting its existing approach to stewardship and resistance management. “It’s the next stage in SDHIs. As with all of our prod- ucts, it will have to clear resistance and regula- tion hurdles, as well as meet our customers’ needs,” he adds.
Growth promoter Trivazen is a three-in-one product from Arlabi- on, a small start-up company. Whether it’s a fungicide, a biocide, a plant activator or a mix of all three remains to be seen, although it is most likely to come to the market as a growth promoter. With a patent pending, Arlabion’s chief executive officer Ella Kainina is tight- lipped about the active ingredient, although she does point out that it cannot be affected by resistance. It is a water-soluble powder that contains zinc ions and has low toxicity. “It’s used in low concentrations and there is a dose effect, which is why we see dual action as a plant activator and a fungicide. It improves germination, emergence, plant survival and growth,” she says. It also has an effect on bac- teria such as salmonella, cholera and
E.coli, so has potential to be used in a disinfectant-type
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New pesticide technologies might fill some of the gaps left by the loss of familiar agrochemical names. Three of them are a third-generation SDHI fungicide, a three-in-one plant activator, and insecticidal gels that work with lure-and-kill technology.
product, as well as in seed treatments and fo- liar sprays. Otherwise, it has been tested in onions as a seed treatment (with promising results) and in wheat, barley and maize. Against septoria, it proved better as a curative treatment than as a protectant, but would need to be applied with a partner product to meet expectations.
Gel applications Vegetable-based gels that can hold an insecti- cide and can be used in insect traps or devices are showing promise for Hockley Agro, who is working with partner companies on the tech- nology. The use of pheromones to attract in- sects into traps is established practice in some crops, says Frank Howard of Hockley, but
applying an insecticide gel to the plastic de- vice adds another dimension. “Lure-and-kill techniques aren’t new. But with an insecticide held in a rainfast, UV-stable gel that is coating the device, you get a better kill. And that’s from a very low dose of the active ingredient,” he adds. In Brazil, where boll weevils have multiplied since the introduction of GM cotton, the use of insecticides has increased to as many as 15 sprays per season. The weevil lays its eggs just as the cotton bolls open, over a number of weeks, making it difficult to pinpoint spray timings. Gel-coated traps placed around the crop margins – where the weevils over- winter – are then used to lure them as they start to migrate.
While most of the new products are at least five years away from commercialisation, there are innovations with potential on the horizon.
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 22 February 2019
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