Novel Insecticides – November 29, 2022
Tyranex® VeripHy®
Imtrade CropScience recently announced the launch of “VeripHy®” technology for Australian growers to assist in preventing alkaline hydrolysis. Alkaline hydrolysis is a rapid breakdown of active ingredient in high water pH. In such conditions, active ingredients susceptible to alkaline hydrolysis dissipate. To solve this issue, Imtrade CropScience have introduced the first product in their VeripHy® range, Tyranex® VeripHy® (500g/L Trichlorfon). “It has been widely researched and reported that Trichlorfon suffers from alkaline hydrolysis making it the perfect active to add VeripHy® technology to” said Ben Carville – Imtrade QLD State Sales Manager and Horticulture specialist. The standard for measuring how vulnerable active ingredients are to alkaline hydrolysis is to measure the time it takes at water pH of 8 to degrade to 50% of active ingredient and for Trichlorfon it takes 63 minutes. If Trichlorfon is used in water conditions like this, product performance issues and failures will occur as reduced active is going onto the crop. There is also a potential for resistance to build up as insects may be able to metabolise a sub-lethal dose of active ingredient. The chart below shows how quickly some active ingredients such as Trichlorfon breakdown at a water pH 8.0.
Mr Carville said “With Tyranex® VeripHy®, the ideal water pH where the product is stable and not degrading is between 5-6”. When Tyranex® VeripHy® is added to a growers spray tank the spray water will change colour indicating to end users if the solution is acidic (Yellow) or alkaline (Purple). If the solution exhibits a yellow colour, the active is stable. However, if the solution exhibits a purple colour then an acidifying agent such as Imtrade Pro 700 will need to be added to bring solution pH level down, resulting in the solution exhibiting a yellow colour. So a simple way to remember is if water is yellow – Yes spray. If Purple – Stop and add Pro 700. A dull yellow or purple indicates the water pH is slightly acidic or alkaline and a bright colour indicates highly acidic or alkaline.
“Tyranex® VeripHy® is a simple tool for growers to get an instant visual reading of their water pH. Growers often have multiple water sources with varying pH levels between farms and sometimes different spray applicators applying product. VeripHy® will help prevent human error if they are not measuring water pH every time, which can lead to product failures. Current practice sees water pH often measured once at beginning of season and then it is assumed the water pH will be the same for remainder of season. However, water pH can fluctuate due to many different environmental factors. If water pH is acidic and the spray solution turns yellow then there is no need to add an acidifying agent such as Imtrade Pro 700” Mr Carville added.
Tyranex® VeripHy® is manufactured by Imtrade CropScience in their NATA approved manufacturing facility in Kwinana Beach, Western Australia. All batches are subject to stringent testing and retention samples are retained of every batch. For more information about Tyranex® VeripHy® contact bencarville@imtrade.com.au.
Cyborg® Plus
Following the successful registration of Imtrade Cyborg® Plus 100 EC Insecticide in late 2020, the team at Imtrade are excited to showcase a leading formulation for controlling Fruit Spotting Bug (FSB) in Avocados and FSB and Nutborer in Macadamias. Cyborg® Plus is a novel co-formulation of Beta-Cyfluthrin with a known synergist Piperonyl-Butoxide (PBO). PBO has been added for improved efficacy in controlling Fruit Spotting Bug (FSB) in Avocado’s and FSB and Nut Borer in Macadamias.
Imtrade’s Ben Carville says “Beta-Cyfluthrin is a trusted and proven insecticide relied on for controlling FSB and has previously been available in a 25g/L formulation (Bulldock®, a registered trademark of Bayer). Cyborg® Plus contains 100g/L of Beta-Cyfluthrin + 300g/L of PBO offering 300% more active ingredient than any other product on the market. This provides an environmental benefit by reducing the amount of drums going through Drum Muster as well as reduced storage and freight requirements for both growers and resellers. Another benefit of going to a higher load of active ingredient is the reduction in solvent added to our product and reduction of hydrocarbons going into the environment.”
The chart below shows the percentage of Avocado fruit with zero FSB damage after applying Beta-Cyfluthrin.
The synergist PBO has been widely used to improve efficacy of insecticides and is in 280 APVMA registered products. It is non-toxic to birds, mammals and bees and has no chemical rating. Consequently, many household brand name products such as Mortein™ use PBO in their formulations. In agriculture, PBO was used in the Cotton industry in the 1980’s when they had resistance issues controlling Helicoverpa armigera. However, in Macadamia and Avocado industries it hasn’t been included in co-formulations.
PBO disrupts an insect’s defence system which they rely on to detoxify active ingredient. This defence system is an enzyme called Mixed-function oxidase (MFO). With their MFO not working as designed, insects become more vulnerable to active ingredient. It is important to note that if PBO was applied by itself, insects wouldn’t be killed but would be more vulnerable to insecticide application. Mr Carville says “this is another benefit of Cyborg® Plus in that following insecticide sprays from a different chemical group may also see improved efficacy due to the PBO component of Cyborg® Plus disabling the insects MFO from functioning as designed.”
Cyborg® Plus is available in easy to handle pack sizes of 5L, 10L and 20L drums allowing growers of various sizes to purchase depending their requirements. Cyborg® Plus has a very low application rate of 12.5mL/100L meaning smaller drums treat significant hectares. Feedback from industry towards smaller pack sizing has certainly been favourable with many comments that these pack sizes are much easier to handle and reduce the risk of workplace injury from lifting heavy 20L drums. For more information about Cyborg® Plus contact bencarville@imtrade.com.au.
