Sparta from Dow AgroSciences has everything farmers (and merchants) need to get the best out of brassicas over summer, including novel chemistry, a unique mode of action and minimal impact on key beneficial insects.
That's the message from Dow AgroSciences marketing manager Nick Koch, who says those in the know have already welcomed recent forage brassica registration for the brand.
"Sparta has already proved itself among New Zealand vegetable and stonefruit producers; we're delighted to be able to roll it out to farmers as well this year."
Koch says for anyone looking for a new way of combating the damaging influx of diamondback moth, white butterfly and leaf
miner, Sparta ticks the boxes.
“Growers are demanding an alternative to old harmful chemistries such as synthetic pyrethroids (SP) and organophosphates (OP).
"There is an increasing incidence of OP and SP resistance resulting in control failures across New Zealand and Sparta is needed to break the resistance cycle.
"Additionally, there is an increasing awareness of the health and safety concerns associated with OP’s and SP’s and chemical users are becoming more concerned for their well being.
"Farmers also want an insecticide that has minimal impact on key beneficial insects; Sparta delivers on all three counts."
Sparta contains the active ingredient spinetoram, which is based on a naturally occurring active ingredient that poses minimal risk to people, animals and the environment.
Its unique chemistry provides powerful control of diamondback moth and white butterfly that out performs current market standards, Koch says.
It is also very effective at controlling other pests such as leaf miner.
Sparta has a unique mode of action meaning that OP and SP resistant insects will be effectively controlled.
And that adds up to a good investment for anyone who wants to maximise brassica performance, he says.
“Forage brassicas provide valuable fodder when pastures are lacking. They are a much cheaper alternative to buying in feed, whilst meeting the essential nutritional requirements for maximum production.
“Nevertheless, an outbreak of diamondback moth or white butterfly can severely impede production benefits by reducing photosynthetic material and ultimately dry matter yields.
"Consequently, the considerable financial outlay in establishing the crop can be lost, and this is compounded by the additional
cost of having to buy in feed to fill the gap”.
Diamondback moth is mostly active at night and can lay up to 100 eggs. The eggs transform into hundreds of larvae which cause a huge amount of damage as they feed on the leaves. The problem isn’t generally noticed until the autumn when pest numbers peak and plant growth slows, so effective, predator friendly control is a must during summer.
“Using a product soft on beneficial insects such as Sparta allows good bugs such as ladybugs and lace wings to work hand in hand with the chemistry to reduce the pest population in a balanced way,” Nick Koch says.
“If you remove all the beneficial insects by using harsh broad spectrum chemistries the natural balance is disturbed. Problem insects such as aphids can flare up creating yet another issue.
"Controlling larvae using Sparta whilst protecting the beneficial insects is a smart choice.”
For more information contact your Dow AgroSciences territory manager.