April 2019 - 16

ADVERTORIAL
PIERCINGSUCKING
PESTS:
Resistance, Social
Pressures, and Solutions
By Joseph Lara, Marketing Manager -
Ornamentals, BASF Corporation
The bane of commercial ornamental production, piercingsucking
insect pests such as aphids, white fly, scale and
mealy bugs are consistently top of mind among growers
for scouting and management. Through various routes
of entry - ineffective sanitation, contaminated young plant
stock, and external intrusions - the battle intensifies against
these pests as the weather warms and plant canopies expand.
Commercial ornamental producers are progressive and
always seeking the best pest management solutions to
produce the highest quality crops that sell. To that end, the
introduction of neonicotinoid chemistries over a decade ago
provided a new tool that growers embraced. The systemic
properties associated with a number of these products
created a new option with longer residual control, especially
over piercing-sucking insect pests. Growers adopted the
drench applications of these chemistries even though they
were costlier. With most products it took additional time
to gain initial control because it had to be taken up by the
roots and move upward through the plant to where the
pests were feeding.
Even under the most sophisticated systems, pest management
programs can become variable and inconsistent in controlling
the most troublesome pests, piercing-sucking insects. These
challenges are common to both production horticulture and
landscape care operations. These pests can appear suddenly,
and their populations can explode in just a few days.
Several of the most popular chemistries have been on the
market for many years. And while readily available, overuse
or improper rotation of chemistries may, over time, lead to
decreasing efficacy - and eventually declining customer
satisfaction. Insect resistance to the most often-used
control products happens as pests with short lifecycles
rapidly reproduce. The subsequent generations adapt to
survival by possessing the inherent ability to metabolize
and overcome the toxic effects of a pesticide.
Beyond the obvious challenges of insect pest resistance,
product misapplications that have resulted in off-target
killing of organisms like honey bees have raised the ire of an
increasingly aware consumer public. Negative press reports
of such incidents have fueled environmental activism and
calls for a ban of all bee-harmful chemistries, specifically
targeting the neonicotinoid class of products.
In reaction to the public outcry, some the largest U.S. livegoods
retailers have imposed strict secondary standards
prohibiting the use of neonicotinoid-based products
on ornamental plants and cut flowers supplied by their
vendors. Lawn and landscape care operators are reducing
or eliminating the use of neonicotinoid products - this in
response to increasing customer concerns over the use of
pesticides that may be perceived as harmful to their family
and pets, and now bees and other 'good bugs' present on
their properties.
Under this wave of external social and business pressures,
many of the largest commercial ornamental growers have
reduced or eliminated the use of neonicotinoids in their
insect pest management programs. In those decisions, they
may be pushed to resort to the use of older chemistries.
Wary of the risks associated with prolonged applicator
exposure, longer re-entry intervals and labor inefficiencies
that challenge their operations, the integration of biological
control solutions is of increasing interest and importance. The
trend to evaluate and incorporate more biological controls
into resistance management programs has expanded as
their effectiveness and reliability of supply is being proven
more and more.
BASF has invested heavily in not only traditional research
and development, but also in technology acquisitions and
partnerships to identify and deliver the most advanced
pest management solutions for commercial ornamental
production. Today, BASF is bringing together innovative
chemical and biological solutions as integrated programs
that work in harmony to meet the increasingly complex
needs of professional horticulture.
Specifically created to address insect pest resistance,
conformance to secondary standards prohibiting the use
of neonicotinoid product use, and the protection of bee
colony health, BASF developed Ventigra™ insecticide. This
product is designed to control piercing-sucking insect
pests in commercial greenhouse and nursery ornamental
production, residential and commercial, indoor and outdoor
landscapes, as well as other application sites as cited on the
product label. BASF offers Ventigra insecticide in support of
professional growers and landscape maintenance operations
dedicated to developing business practices that meet the
needs of even the most discerning customers.
Similarly, Sultan® miticide, Nemasys® and Millenium™
beneficial nematodes work to control pernicious spider
mite, fungus gnat and shore fly pests, respectively. Working
in harmony with beneficial insect and predatory wasp
Rising societal pressures have raised awareness and
consideration for bee colony health. Merging conventional and
biological pest management solutions helps growers maintain
sustainable practices and produce high quality plants.
Ventigra insecticide provides rapid onset of action which stops insect
feeding quickly with long residual control.
Piercing-sucking insects, including aphids (shown above), whiteflies,
and mealybugs cause damage by direct pest feeding injury and the
spread of insect-vectored plant diseases
release programs, BASF is delivering preferred pest management
solutions designed to meet the emerging needs of commercial
greenhouse and nursery ornamental production.
To learn more about how BASF is merging
the best of conventional and biological pest
management solutions in partnership with
professional horticulture and landscape
professionals, visit www.betterplants.basf.us.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS. Ventigra and Millenium are trademarks of BASF. Sultan and Nemasys are registered trademarks of BASF.

http://www.betterplants.basf.us

April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2019