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Make improvements to your spray program
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Use insecticides effectively and safely
- Appropriate selection of the legal chemicals for the job
- Follow all requirements of effective insecticide application, taking careful note of the different application requirements of some chemicals
Be sure to use suitable chemicals rather than just familiar ones
When choosing a chemical several factors are important – not just price alone. Is it effective against that pest? Will the with-holding period or other safety issues fit with your harvesting schedule? Can it cause any damage to the crop? Will it kill beneficial insects you are trying to protect? Do you know how to use the chemical to its full effectiveness? Do you have the right equipment and application methods for that chemical? Is it legal to use it on your crop?To avoid worker and food safety issues use only approved chemicals
There are different legal forms of permission to use an insecticide. Here are some definitions to clarify their meaning.Registered Chemicals:
Before they can be supplied distributed or sold anywhere in Australia an agricultural or veterinary chemical product must be registered for use by the APVMA by way of a product label. Variations to the formulation of a currently registered product must also be approved, as must proposed new patterns of use and new labels. This includes changes to the current use pattern or the products claims. All agvet products can only be used as per label instructions. Find registered products at: http://services.apvma.gov.au/PubcrisWebClient
Off Label Permits:
Chemicals shall be used in accordance with relevant State Legislation for off label use. Once the APVMA has registered a product for use, the states and territories are responsible for control of its use. Due to differences between states in their regulatory requirements not all uses are bound by permits to use chemicals off label but all uses must comply with the Food Standards Code and abide by a maximum residue limit(MRL) for the chemical in the code. This allows growers in to use products in compliance with food standards and quality assurance(QA) systems required by their markets.
In general an “Off-Label” permit allows a person or an organisation to use registered Agvet products in situations that would otherwise be an offence either against certain provisions of the federal legislation (Agvet Code) or of appropriate State control of use legislation. Permits can only be issued, in response to an application for:
- a minor use
- an emergency use
- research purposes.
2. Rotate chemical groups to avoid resistance
Download an example for a spray rotation planner (doc)
3. Spray if pest numbers too high
Follow all requirements of effective insecticide application, taking careful note of the different application requirements of some chemicalsIf your crop monitoring tells you the pests have reached a level where spraying is required then follow the requirements of effective insecticide application:
- Select an insecticide from the right chemical group according to your chemical rotation plan
- Note all important legal and safety requirements (e.g. protective gear, re-entry time and with-holding period from spray to next pick)
- Examine and closely follow all guidelines for effective use of the chemical (e.g. use of a wetting agent if required, avoidance of high temperatures etc.)
- Ensure you are mixing the correct rate and volume for the crop and pest
- Avoid using any other additives in the tank mix unless certain that it is a safe and effective combination
- Mix and apply the chemical promptly, at the best time of day for a good kill - usually morning or late afternoon
- Check pH of the mixture before adding the chemical to make sure it is between 6.0 and 8.0 (6.5 is best)
- Find out how long it should take the chemical to work (minutes or days)
Apply the chemical to achieve good coverage by
- Making sure the spray equipment is calibrated to deliver the correct volume for the crop area and growth stage and that the jets and pressure setting are delivering the right droplet size and penetration to get good coverage
- Making sure that your movement of the spray nozzles is achieving good coverage from top to bottom, between plants and under leaves.
- Avoiding run off with most chemicals as this often leads to leaf burn and can actually leave less chemical on the leaf for insects!
4. Check plants after spraying, rotate chemical groups every 2-3 sprays
Check effectiveness of the spray application
You must check the effectiveness of the spray application by comparing before and after spray pest numbers:
- Check fruit flowers for a comparison of pest numbers in 1-3 days depending on how long the chemical takes to work
- Check sticky traps twice over the next week for pest build up (at 2 and 5 days)
Manage the threat of insecticide resistance
By following these procedures you will help to reduce the risk of increasing the level of resistant insects in the pest populations through:
- Rotating the chemical according to your chemical group rotation plan
- Making sure that the chemical is correctly mixed and used under the right conditions (additives (+/-), temperature, pest threshold level etc.)
- Making sure that you get good coverage to get the maximum kill
- Not spraying more often than you need to
