Nov. 12, 2009 – The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently approved a minor
use registration for Avid (abamectin) insecticide/miticide for control
of tomato psyllid on greenhouse peppers and tomatoes.
Nov. 12, 2009 – The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently approved a minor use registration for Avid (abamectin) insecticide/miticide for control of tomato psyllid on greenhouse peppers and tomatoes. The active ingredient abamectin was already labelled in Canada for control of leafminers, pear psylla and spider mites on potatoes, pome fruit, strawberries, caneberries, greenhouse ornamentals, greenhouse peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.
Tomato psyllid (Paratrioza cockerelli) is a new pest of greenhouse vegetables in Canada and has been the subject of minor use prioritization by greenhouse vegetable producers for several years. Feeding by psyllids not only causes yellowing of the plant, but can also result in loss of vigour and yield due to a combination of reduced fruit set and fruit size. Until now, there have been no products available to producers to manage this pest in Canada.
Avid insecticide/miticide can be used for control of tomato psyllids at a rate of 30 ml product per 100 L water. It is recommended that the application should be made preferably in 2,000 to 4,000 L of water per hectare. The pre-harvest interval for greenhouse peppers and tomatoes is three days. Consult with your crop advisor for application timings and do not apply more than five applications per year.
Follow all other directions for use and precautions on the Avid insecticide/miticide label carefully.
Avid insecticide/miticide should be used in an IPM program and in rotation with other management strategies to adequately manage resistance.
We thank the British Columbia Greenhouse Growers and the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands for sponsoring this minor use label expansion. We also wish to thank Syngenta Crop Protection Canada for their support of this registration and the personnel of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency for evaluating and approving this important pest management tool.
For copies of the new minor use label, contact Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Greenhouse vegetable IPM specialist Gillian Ferguson at Harrow at 519-738-1258, or visit the Engage Agro (www.engageagro.com) or Plant Product (www.plantprod.com) websites.
Jim Chaput is the Minor Use Co-ordinator with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Guelph.
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