By Clint Thompson
One insecticide from ADAMA could be a secret weapon for Southeast producers hoping to reduce pest pressure in various specialty crops.
Cormoran® attacks the larval stages of insect pests, which makes it a vital part of a grower’s insecticidal rotation, says Jorge Menocal, territory sales representative for ADAMA.
“When you refer to specialty vegetables, it’s critical to have tools that the growers can use that would be effective, that would fit the environmental and EPA package. Specialty crops are usually the last crops to get products labeled for them. It’s always a challenge to get products that will be able to perform,” Menocal said. “We wanted to have a product that will fit into a rotation that producers have already; that will be very effective in the life stage of the crop insect, with this case the larval stage. Cormoran is an excellent larvicide in activity in the egg stages.”
Scouting’s Importance
The product’s success is based on its effectiveness against pests at their immature stages. Scouting remains an important management strategy. Loren Horsman, a crop consultant, said the critical first step is having an experienced consultant or scout who knows how to identify the life cycles of insect pests like whiteflies or thrips.
“You have to break the life cycle of whatever insect you’re dealing with. It can be very effective in that way because it can clean up the immature stages and stop whatever infestation that you have at the time,” Horsman said. “The timing is critical. You have to know what stages are out there to know if Cormoran is the right fit for you. Then you get value for your application.”
Menocal added, “The fact that it breaks the cycle is very effective. The fact that it’s broad spectrum is very effective in the larval stage. It fits very nicely with other components of the rotation which are the adulticides and some other products that have more activity in the eggs.”
Cormoran is especially effective against whitefly and thrips pressure in tomatoes and snap beans. It’s also effective against pepper weevils in peppers and silk flies in sweet corn. Its active ingredients are Acetamiprid and Novaluron.