For more information www.sacoa.com.au or call 08 9386 7666 Australian owned Specialist company QA manufacturing National distribution Full product support TECH NOTE SERIES KEY POINTS • Mite populations can flare follow- ing insecticide applications or with warm, dusty conditions. • BIOPEST ® has been shown to suc- cessfully reduce mite populations as a foliar applied prior to populations building. • Many miticides are registered to be used in mixtures with BIOPEST ® to improve coverage and efficacy. • BIOPEST ® is registered in its own right for control of a range of mite spe- cies either at the dormant timing or as a foliar application in a range of crops at rates of 1-3L/100L. • For best results, always ensure thorough coverage with adequate water volumes under quick dry- ing conditions and avoid spraying stressed crops or during full bloom. Mites are increasingly becoming a significant pest in many horticultural crops – particularly as a result of warm spring conditions and insecticide pro- grams which no longer include broad spectrum organophosphates, resulting in the flaring of mite populations. The following factors have driven up mite populations and led to a renewed interest in the use of horticultural spray oils; • Removal of broad spectrum insecti- cides such as organophosphates. • Increased prevalence of difficult to control pests such as carphophilus beetle which requires the use of mite flaring insecticides. • Resistance developing to conventional insecticides. • Technology advances making horticultural spray oils more effective and safer on crops. SACOA has been conducting research into integrated pest management in many horticultural crops for over a decade. Most recently, work has focussed on controlling mites in a range of crops from bananas to avocadoes and almonds (see Figure 1). This research has focused on the role of BIOPEST ® as a mite control product both as a prophylactic preventative to reduce egg laying and populations building, as well as a post infestation product to manage existing populations both alone and in mixtures with common miticides. Narrow range horticultural spray oils or paraffinic spray oils (PSO’s) such as BIOPEST ® , have long had a place for the control of pests such as scale and mites, not only as a result of their direct insecticidal effects, but also as carriers and deposition aids for other insecticides. However with the advent of broad spectrum organophosphate and synthetic pyrethroid insecticides over the last 30 years, their popularity has declined. More recently, the removal of many broad spectrum insecticides due to health concerns and the rapid development of resistance in target pests, has led to their revival as a safe and effective method of controlling mites and scale in horticultural crops. Version 2 | Date Jan 2020 | Ref 47 | Page 1 MANAGING MITES WITH BIOPEST For more information www.sacoa.com.au or call 08 9386 7666 Australian owned Specialistcompany QA manufacturin g National distributio n Full product support Figure 1: Evidence of mite damage in almonds, Robinvale Feb 2015 (Source: Phytogen Consulting)
