Valent U.S.A. Adds New Crops To California Labels
January 20, 2014 Valent U.S.A. Corporation recently held meetings in the San Joaquin Valley for pest control advisers, updating them on crops that have been added to the labels of various crops, among other things. Here’s a quick recap of the meeting held in Selma — the other was in Bakersfield — along with comments from company representatives:
■ Chateau herbicide: New crops are pomegranates, olives, and artichokes, says Mark Testerman, who said that while the herbicide controls weeds that are becoming glyphosate-resistant, such as hairy fleabane and marestail, it is environmentally friendly. “It stays where you put it,” he said. “Chateau does not leach and it does not run off.”
■ ProTone plant growth regulator: While it’s been used for four years to color up table grapes, 2014 will be the first year ProTone is labeled for winegrape color enhancement, said Lyndon Inouye. Not only will it enhance color, but it will increase tannins, improving mouthfeel if used properly, he said. “You’ve got to paint each and every berry,” he said. “Thorough coverage with ProTone is essential.”
■ ReTain plant growth regulator: The PGR has been used to increase yields on walnuts — especially the Serr variety — for the past eight years, said Tino Lopez, who said he expects the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to approve its use on cherries this week. ReTain works by minimizing ethylene production, enabling the flower to remain capable of pollination for a longer time, so the potential for a big crop increases, he said.
■ Quash fungicide: Used for disease control on almonds and pistachios, it is now labeled to be used on hull rot, said Gerald Holmes. Hull rot is known as “good grower’s disease,” as it usually shows up in densely planted, fully watered and fed high-yielding orchards.
Holmes surveyed the PCAs in both Bakersfield and Selma on what they consider to be the top three almond diseases they face. In Selma, it was shot hole, brown rot, and hull rot, in that order. In Bakersfield, it was hull rot, alternaria, and rust. Said one PCA in Selma of the Bakersfied results that had hull rot #1, with a touch of sarcasm: “That’s because they actually had a little rain.”
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