By Clint Thompson
A new insecticide should provide vegetable growers another tool in the toolbox in managing certain pests.
Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist, talked about Incipio and its potential impact on vegetable production in the Southeast.
“A lot of it comes down to price as to how big of a role it will play. But it has the potential to be very big for us,” Sparks said. “It’s efficacious against pests we have trouble with as far as management; diamondback moth is a big one, pepper weevil. It’s a new mode of action. That’s one of the bigger things, too. It’s unique as compared to anything else we use.
“You’re putting it into something you’ve got to spray a lot or something we already have resistant issues, so it helps there. You’re either overcoming that resistance or you’re hoping to delay resistance to other products.”
Insecticide Background
Incipio is an insecticide from Syngenta that uses PLINAZOLIN technology. It is used for the control of mites, thrips, true bugs, lepidopterous pests and other insects in brassica head and stem vegetables. A significant benefit is it is a broad-spectrum spray, controlling a wide range of pests.
“You don’t have to put two or three things in the tank. If you’re spraying for pepper weevil, it will help you with something else, or if you’re spraying for diamondback, it’s helping with other pests that are out there as well,” Sparks said. “That’s one of the good things about selective products, you can target what you’re controlling. But the bad thing is if you’ve got three things you need to target, that could be three different products. If you’ve got a broad spectrum, you put that one product out there. It makes it more economical, too. It’s not going to be cheap by any means, because it’s had to go through the registration process which is very expensive.
“If you can put one product out instead of three products out, it makes an expensive product much more affordable.”