Moving Forward With Movento

Moving Forward With Movento

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Earlier this year, EPA approved registration of Movento (spirotetramat), a new insect control product from Bayer CropScience, for use on pome fruit, stone fruit, grapes, tree nuts, citrus, and vegetable crops. Movento’s two-way systemic activity is designed to ensure even and continuous distribution and better overall protection of young shoots, leaves, and roots. The product is aimed at controlling aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, scales, and other key pests.

Movento product manager Ed Keane recently sat down for a Q&A session with the editors of American/Western Fruit Grower to discuss Movento’s foliar activity and how growers should position it into their pest control program.

What is Movento’s primary mode of action?

Keane: Movento provides pest control with a new two-way chemistry that offers leaf-to-leaf and leaf-to-root activity. It finds and eliminates hidden pests, and also protects new crop growth. We are still fine-tuning Movento, and will have more data as we move forward. But growers can expect long-lasting control.

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How should growers position Movento into their IPM and resistance management programs?

Keane: Movento’s two-way systemic activity makes it an excellent rotation partner. It is foliar applied and offers extra penetration in dense crop canopies. It also leads to reduced survival of offspring and is only a minimal risk to beneficial organisms, making it a good fit for an integrated pest management program. In terms of resistance, Movento blends in well and improves the viability of other chemistries.

Are there any leaching issues with Movento?

Keane: There is very low leaching potential. The low use rate, combined with long residual control and leaf to root activity, means there is less environmental loading.

Are adjuvants necessary with Movento?

Keane: Yes. We don’t see sufficient performance with sticker spreaders. The most appropriate adjuvants would be either methylated seed oil or a non-ionic surfactant.

What is the next step for Movento?

Keane: We obtained registration on June 30, and other states, including California, came soon after. Regulatory agencies in Canada and the European Union were involved in the registration process, and as a result, maximum residue levels (MRLs) have been jointly established. While exposure in pome fruit and vegetables has been limited so far, we’ve received early positive feedback. Florida registration came through in August, but registration for New York is not expected until late 2009 at the earliest.

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