Madumbi’s biological solutions for FCM on Avocados
The increasing global demand for highly nutritious, great tasting food has driven the growth of the avocado industry the past few years with the large majority of South African avocados being exported.
In order to grow the SA avocado market share, growers need to deliver high quality fruit grown in an environmentally sound manner. Until recently there were not many solutions registered to assist growers to achieve this goal. Madumbi Sustainable Agriculture is passionate about environmentally friendly, low risk solutions to the problems faced by growers and is driven to ensure solutions are utilised effectively.
The phytosanitary pest, False Codling Moth, is becoming a serious problem, especially in avocado orchards in close proximity to macadamia and citrus orchards, some of the pest’s alternative hosts. This is evident in the Letaba and Nelspruit areas in particular.
Cryptex® – superior quality granulovirus solution adding value to IPM programs
The success the citrus industry has achieved using the target specific viral product Cryptex® in combination with other integrated pest management (IPM) practices such as orchard sanitation and the use of mating disruption, shows that good FCM population control can be achieved when applied timeously early in the season. Late season applications also ensure clean fruit will be exported.
Cryptex® has no MRL implications and due to its unique mode of action, contributes to good resistance management practices. It does not cause repercussion pest flare-ups due to its high specificity and has no impact on non-target insects and bees, supporting a high biodiversity within the orchard. It is a compatible mixing partner with most fungicides, pesticides and other foliar products making it easy to apply. Cryptex® is registered for the control of FCM on avocados.
Eco-Bb® – exceptionally formulated broad-spectrum biological insecticide with a unique mode of action
Eco-Bb®’s consistent results are driving its inclusion into more and more IPM programs on various economically important crops, including avocado. Eco-Bb® consists of a unique “dry oil” formulation that protects the fungal spores against desiccation and UV irradiation, furthering its efficacy in the field. With its non-toxic nature and no withholding period, applications can be done right up until harvest.
What makes including Eco-Bb® into a program especially valuable, is its potential to affect all life stages of the pest, from the egg through to adult moth. It’s unique mode of action makes it ideal for use in programs with other insecticides, ensuring that pest populations do not become resistant against the active ingredients currently still available to the market.
Cryptex® and Eco-Bb® are indispensable solutions in the fight against FCM, its damage and associated phytosanitary risk. The low impact on beneficial insects and no associated residue implications make these products assets to include in FCM programs.
Contact your Madumbi BioSpecialist today to learn more.