Words: Neil Waddingham, Bayer New Zealand
 
Unfortunately, several pests are keen to make a meal of fodder crops, therefore the recent registration of Sivanto prime earlier this year is welcome news for New Zealand farmers.
 
Sivanto prime stands out as a truly modern insecticide through a combination of efficacy, formulation technology and favourable beneficial profile.
 
Sivanto prime is based on the active ingredient flupyradifurone and is unique in being classified as a Group 4D insecticide.
 
It delivers extremely effective control of Nysius, springtails and green peach aphid during crop establishment.
 
At the same time, it has minimal impact on beneficials, including honeybees, if used according to label recommendations.
 
Insects are controlled in several ways with Sivanto prime.
 
The main ways are when the pest comes into direct or indirect contract with the product.
 
Direct contact occurs when the insect is directly exposed to Sivanto prime, whereas indirect occurs when pests walk across treated soil or leaf surfaces.
 
Because Sivanto prime is translaminar, meaning it can move from the top leaf surface through to the lower leaf surface, pests will be controlled whichever leaf surface they walk on.
 
Pests do not have to feed on the plant to be controlled but if they do ingestion is another way Sivanto prime works.
 
Nysius and springtails feed on the plant causing physical damage, whereas with green peach aphids the main threat is virus transmission.
 
Awareness is growing that viruses are having a significant impact on plant health, fodder quality and yield.
 
While beet yellows virus is the easiest to spot, turning the leaves of fodder beet bright yellow, there are several other, less visual viruses, that reduce yield in both forage brassicas and fodder beet.
 
Virus transmission occurs rapidly. Once a virus-infected aphid feeds on a plant, it takes a very short time for the virus transmission to occur.
 
However, because Sivanto prime works very quickly to control pests and stop them feeding, it is very effective at shutting down virus transmission.
 
Sivanto prime is very straightforward and convenient to use.
 
Formulated as a soluble concentrate, it disperses rapidly in water to give an almost colourless, low-odour spray solution and because it rapidly penetrates the plant the use of an adjuvant isn’t required.
 
However, it can be mixed with a wide range of other products and some of these products might require an adjuvant; if this is the case the adjuvant should still be applied.
 
Beneficials are your partner for pest control, and it is never too early to protect them.
 
They play a helpful role by prolonging pest control and diminishing the risk that pest populations flare up when insecticide activity begins to diminish.
 
You can confidently integrate Sivanto prime into IPM programmes as it has a minimal impact on beneficials, including honeybees, if used according to label recommendations.
 
There is a constant threat of insecticide resistance developing and an important way to reduce this is by integrating different modes of action into your spray programme.
 
As the only Group 4D insecticide registered in NZ, Sivanto prime diversifies your insecticide choice.
 
Sivanto prime is available now in a 3-litre pack.
 
At a low dose rate of 150 ml – 375 ml/ha, this pack controls pests across 8 – 20 ha.
 
From December a 10-litre pack will be available.