With temperatures rising and day lengths extending, two-spotted spider mites (Panonchyus ulmi) in ornamental nurseries are reported to be coming out of diapause early and will need knocking back with an appropriate chemical before introducing Phytoseiulus as part of an Integrated Pest Management approach.
The contact-acting acaricide Borneo has an Extension of Authorisation for Minor Uses (EAMU) for use in protected ornamental plant production to add to its label recommendations in protected tomatoes and aubergines and its EAMU in protected strawberries.
Developed by Sumitomo Chemical Company, Borneo contains 110 gms/litre etoxazole and is formulated as a suspension concentrate. Etoxazole is a contact-acting acaricide that works by inhibiting chitin production, affecting moulting and growth in spider mites. This results in effective control of eggs and all immature stages of the spider mites. It also has an adverse effect on egg production, through its chitin inhibition, making the female adult mites sterile.
Etoxazole is from the oxaline group of insecticides and shows no cross-resistance to any other acaricides. The product will give best performance if used at the first appearance of the first mobile stages of spider mites.
It is applied at a maximum of 35 mls per 100 litres of water in a minimum of 500 litres of water, sufficient to obtain good crop coverage. One application of Borneo is allowed per crop. It has a residual action of around 45 to 60 days. It has little adverse effect on bees, predatory mites or wasps and is expected to fit in well within IPM systems.
For any EAMU, growers need to obtain a copy of the notice of approval via the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) web site, ADAS offices or NFU. In the EAMU notice of approval, CRD point out that liability lies with the user and growers are advised to test a small area of crop prior to commercial use. Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd as the manufacturer of Borneo and Interfarm as the UK distributor decline any liability in case of crop damage or efficacy enquiries.
