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Pest

New Pest Control Options in the Pipeline 

Not a lot of new labels were issued for blueberry growers this past year, according to Oregon State University’s Joe DeFrancesco, and one of them, the fungicide Prolivo, has a better fit in strawberries than blueberries because it is primarily for powdery-mildew control. Still, in a report at the 2017 Oregon Blueberry Field Day, DeFrancesco said some encouraging developments are occurring on the crop protection front for blueberries.

High on the list of products in the pipeline that could benefit Oregon blueberry growers in the near future is an herbicide that is good at controlling bindweed. Quinstar, manufactured by Albaugh of St. Joseph, Missouri, is a systemic herbicide that is good for control of annual grasses, annual broadleaves and perennial broadleaves, especially bindweed and morning glory, DeFrancesco said. He added that it also has good suppression activity on Canada thistle and dandelions.

Currently, EPA is reviewing residue trial data of Quinstar, with a decision anticipated this fall whether to allow use of this product in blueberries, DeFrancesco said.

Another product in the pipeline that could benefit Oregon blueberry growers in the near future is the herbicide Alion, from Bayer. The pre-emergent herbicide is good on both grasses and broadleaf weeds, DeFrancesco said. He added that the EPA has established a tolerance for Alion. “Now we are just waiting for the company to add blueberries to the label,” he said.

One area of pesticide registrations that did see developments this past year was label changes. DeFrancesco reported that Dow is phasing out its Success label, the nonorganic formulation of spinosad that is used extensively to control spotted wing drosophila. Dow, however, is keeping its Entrust label, the organic formulation of spinosad, for use in blueberries.

DeFrancesco noted that if growers have Success with the old label, they can continue to use it in blueberries. But, he said, “You won’t find blueberries on the new label.” As a substitute, growers can use Delegate, also a Dow product, with the active ingredient spinetoram, which is chemically similar to spinosad.

Another label change DeFrancesco reported on concerns Bayer’s imidacloprid products. Provado, which has good activity on aphids and other piercing insects, is being phased out in favor of Admire Pro, Bayer’s foliar-applied imidacloprid. DeFrancesco reported that the Admire Pro label now includes both foliar-application and soil-application directions on its new label.

DeFrancesco said growers can use Provado 1.6 on blueberries if they have product with the old label, but noted that at this point, all uses on the Provado label are included on the Admire Pro label.

 

 


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