TRIALS have delivered pleasing results for a new pest control chemistry for apple growers.
The Bayer insecticide Vayego was used last season by apple growers in Victoria's Goulburn Valley to tackle a range of pests including codling moth.
It contains the active ingredient tetraniliprole, a Group 28 insecticide, which is new to the Australian market.
The product is registered in pome fruit, stonefruit and almonds to control pests such as codling moth, light brown apple moth, oriental fruit moth, carpophilus beetle, garden weevil, Fuller's rose weevil and apple weevil.
Bayer has been trialling Vayego in Australia over a number of years including the past two seasons at MJ Hall & Sons, near Mooroopna in Victoria.
This year a trial was conducted at the property to assess the Group 28 diamide products available to industry in a side-by-side replicated trial targeting first-generation codling moth.
Having seen two years of trial results, the MJ Hall & Sons team decided to escalate its use of Vayego in 2021, becoming one of the first operations in Australia to use it commercially.
I K Caldwell's Rob Salter, who provides agronomic advice to MJ Hall & Sons, said codling moth has a major impact in apples and pears in the area.
"If left untreated, you can nearly have 100 per cent crop loss," Mr Salter said.
"This is our first commercial year with Vayego and the results have been really promising, particularly when targeted at that first-generation codling moth.
"Vayego is probably the best Group 28 at the moment from what I've seen. The fruit damage we've seen this year in blocks that have had Vayego has been minimal, there's certainly been a lot less stings in apples and pears this season in those blocks.
"That first-generation is critical with codling moth, and if you've got a really strong product up first like Vayego, it makes the rest of the season a lot easier."
Bayer market development agronomist in horticulture Troy Mulcahy said overall about a quarter of the fruit was damaged in areas that weren't sprayed at all, which indicated there was a very high level of pressure at the trial site.
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"Vayego was the outstanding treatment in the trial on two fronts, resulting in both the least amount of total damage, and also the least amount of codling moth entries in the fruit," Mr Mulcahy said.
"So, when we talk about breaking the life cycle of codling moth, that's a really significant part."
He said it was unusual for Group 28 chemistry to be so broad spectrum.
"The first thing to know about Vayego is it's got fantastic efficacy and when we compare it to all the other diamides, we see it as best in class chemistry that's new for the Australian market," Mr Mulcahy said.
"Also, as we would expect with Group 28 products, Vayego has a very friendly IPM profile, so when we look at protecting our beneficial species and particularly beneficial mites, Vayego is a really nice fit for that situation."
Mr Mulcahy said from the work done with MJ Hall & Sons, Bayer knew Vayego had reduced the amount of damage on the fruit.
"So from a commercial perspective and a grower's perspective, that means more marketable fruit," he said.
Tetraniliprole affects all life stages of the codling moth; from adults, through to eggs, through to the larvae. This means increased flexibility around application timing for growers.
"When Vayego is sprayed into crops, and the adults come in contact with tetraniliprole, the product will basically interrupt the codling moth's orientation skills, reducing the amount of eggs laid, and the fertility of those eggs," Mr Mulcahy said.
"If an egg is laid down on fruit and then Vayego is applied, we know we get good control. If Vayego is applied and then an egg is laid on top of that fruit, over a long period of time within our spray interval, then we have a good level of control also."
"From the adult, to the egg, to the larvae, there are multiple ways to control that pest, and if we particularly do that early in the season, we see the most benefits. It gives farmers a little extra flexibility, particularly around application timing."
Mr Salter said the feedback from growers had been positive.
"We always welcome new chemistry and particularly improved formulations, and a product like Vayego, being a liquid, is very easy to apply, the pack sizes are very grower-friendly, and compatibility wise, it seems very good," he said.
The team at MJ Hall & Sons, having seen two years of trial results on their own property, decided to escalate their use of Vayego in 2021, becoming one of the first operations in Australia to use it commercially - and with good reason.
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