New acaricide from Certis Netherlands
A newly authorised acaricide, Scelta ®, made by the Japanese company Otsuka, was successfully launched last year into the Dutch ornamentals market.
The product is based on the active ingredient cyflumetofen, from a new chemical group that has not previously been used for ornamentals. Scelta provides mite control for all outdoor and protected ornamental crops and controls all stages of the mite lifecycle: eggs, larvae and adults. It is a highly selective contact insecticide, compatible with biological controls and safe to the crop.This combination of properties differentiates Scelta from other acaricides and therefore makes it a welcome addition for growers.
Chrysanthemum grower, René Eikelenboom of Arcadia Chrysanten, had problems with spider mite pressure last summer on two production sites and found Scelta to be a successful and valuable solution, which controlled the pest very quickly. Producing 30 million stems of chrysanthemums per year on five different sites, Arcadia uses beneficial insects for spider mite control from March to September. However, it can be necessary, from time to time, to boost that control with the use of an acaricide, without killing the beneficial insects. It is also important to use a range of acaricides in order to avoid the development of resistance.
“Being able to use Scelta safely with beneficials offers a major advantage for us,” says René. “Even with a good system using beneficial insects we sometimes need extra help against spider mite and the number of beneficial-friendly acaricides available is very limited. We are delighted to have a new alternative and shall use Scelta with care to avoid the development of resistance for as long as possible,” he explains. “Coming from a new chemical group for ornamentals, it is certainly a valuable addition to our armoury for mite control and important for resistance management.”