The insecticide Movento has gained full label approval for the control of aphids and whitefly in collards and kale.
With whitefly numbers now building up in Brussels sprouts and kale crops this is good news for growers according to Nathan Whitehouse, Bayer product manager for fruit and vegetable crops.
“Although there are products that can suppress populations, Movento is the only one that is really effective,” said Whitehouse.
“Apply it at the beginning of the infestation to target young larvae. Should the weather subsequently turn cooler and damper one spray may be sufficient, but if hot, dry conditions persist, encouraging sustained and heavy whitefly pressure, a three-spray programme may be required.”
He added: “Best results will be achieved by following the initial Movento application with Biscaya, then switching back to Movento, with spray intervals of two to three weeks.”
Due to the exceptionally cold winter, first flights of peach-potato aphids have been over a month later than average this year. But catches are now starting to be recorded by the Rothamsted Insect Survey and numbers are expected to build up during July.
In collards the main problem aphids cause is one of contamination; they get among the leaf folds where they cannot be reached by conventional insecticide treatments.
However Nathan Whitehouse said Movento overcomes this challenge. “Its unique two-way systemicity enables the active ingredient spirotetramat to move up and down the plant and into areas of new growth to target aphids hidden in buds and leaf folds. Essentially this leaves them nowhere to hide.”
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