By Clint Thompson and Frank Giles
Specialty crop producers can never have too many insecticides in their management system. Growers will soon be able to add a new insecticide to the toolbox from Corteva Agriscience.
Ridgeback™ insecticide should provide farmers in the Southeast another weapon in the arsenal in their annual fight against one destructive pest, says Nathan Alonzo, product manager at Corteva Agriscience.
“We see a really good fit in the vegetable space when it comes to whiteflies,” Alonzo said. “We have the state of Georgia already state approved, ready to go for use right now. We’re just waiting on supply to be made. That’ll start to become available in the month of February of 2022, so here very shortly. We’ll also see some expansion of that label for the state registration into Florida as well.”
Ridgeback combines a unique mode of action of Isoclast® active and bifenthrin. It allows growers to manage pests that are resistant to other chemistries, which improves the plant’s yield potential. Isoclast active’s translaminar movement allows for consistent control of pests on the underside of plant leaves as well.
“It’s partnering a new novel mode of action in Isoclast with a trusted active ingredient in bifenthrin for a very broad-spectrum control,” Alonzo said.
It is intended for sap feeding and chewing insects.
Whiteflies cause feeding injury issues in vegetable fields in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. More importantly, though, is that they can transmit two viruses: cucurbit leaf crumple virus and cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus. Vegetables like squash, zucchini, cucumber, cantaloupe and snap beans are highly susceptible to these viruses.