Many growers might regard biological products as being a bit quirky, but in many crops, not just specialist crops, they are applied in exactly the same way as any other insecticide and offer just as good control of damaging caterpillar pests, according to Interfarm. They are urging growers of vegetables, soft fruit, protected crops and ornamentals to give them a try and to see for themselves just how effective they can be.
"Biological products could be seen as slightly quirky products, but actually they can offer a highly effective and easy to use solution for the control of damaging caterpillar pests. In fact they are just as easy to use as conventional chemical insecticides," says Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager for Interfarm (UK) which is an affiliate of Sumitomo Chemical Company.
"Take DiPel DF for example. This is a bio-insecticide in that the active ingredient is produced from the naturally-occurring micro-organism Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki, referred to as "BtK". It is a highly effective insecticide recommended on a wide range of vegetable, fruit and protected crops, with the major advantages of no maximum number of applications, no harvest interval, no residues and with a unique mode of action. And you apply it in exactly the same way as any other insecticide, mixing the recommended dose rate with sufficient water to give good coverage of the target crop," says David. "It also offers the advantage of not having any resistance problems."
Dr. Stormonth explains that DiPel acts as a stomach poison on the target Lepidoptera pests. "The larvae or caterpillars feed on the treated foliage and stop feeding rapidly, dying within 1 to 3 days of ingesting the product, just like many other insecticides."
He points out that the efficacy of DiPel DF on young lepidopterous insects is similar to that of conventional insecticides. "In a market where the end produce must be of high quality and of excellent visual appearance, DiPel ensures that the damaging activity of caterpillars is minimised in a clean and green way. This biopesticide also has the advantage of being biodegradable and will leave no detrimental residues on the crop. Such an environmentally friendly product should be of high interest to growers, retailers and end users alike. DiPel is ideal for use as part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme, so why not give it a go?" says David.
DiPel DF is applied to the crop as soon as caterpillars are seen, with repeat applications at 7 to 10 day intervals as necessary. It is recommended at dose rates of 0.75 to 1 kgs per hectare in outdoor cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli, with the higher dose rate being used for heavy infestations or when larvae are at more advanced stages and 0.75 kgs/ha in outdoor and protected ornamentals and amenity vegetation. In strawberries and raspberries, it is recommended at 75 gms/100 litres of water and in protected tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers at 100 gms/100 litres of water.
Developed by Valent Biosciences of the US, part of Sumitomo Chemicals, DiPel DF® contains the naturally-occurring micro-organism Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki, formulated as a water dispersible granule. It is recommended as a biological insecticide for the control of caterpillars in vegetables, soft fruit, ornamentals and amenity vegetation. There are no restrictions on the number of treatments that can be applied. It is packed in 0.5 kgs packs.
® registered trade marks of Valent BioSciences® Corporation.
For further information, please contact Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager, Interfarm UK Ltd. on 01354 741414 or 07818 036506 (mobile) or via e-mail david.stormonth@interfarm.co.uk .
