Production Points on Poinsettias

With fall quickly approaching, poinsettia production is gearing up. From propagation to finish, it is important to continue watching for common insect pests, particularly whiteflies as they can build up quickly in this crop. Your scouting practices should include careful examination of the underside of leaves for immature stages of whiteflies; this will help you monitor pest pressure as well as gauge the performance of your control program.

Systemic Protection Provides Optimal Control

Systemic insecticides from IRAC Group 4A have been the standard for providing control of whiteflies in ornamentals. Today, we have a unique option for systemic control with Mainspring® GNL, a broad-spectrum insecticide from a novel class of chemistry known as Diamides in IRAC Group 28.

Mainspring GNL functions like a shield, protecting the crop from a broad range of chewing and sucking pests and preventing them from building to damaging levels. It is an especially effective solution for controlling thrips and whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci), both Biotype B and Q. As a drench, it moves upward through the plant and stops insects from feeding, limiting injury and providing extended protection (8+ weeks); saving time and labor on repeat, corrective applications. For long, residual protection in poinsettia crops, apply Mainspring as a drench 2-3 weeks after the crop is pinched and before whitefly populations begin to build. At this point the crop is well-rooted after transplanting, which allows for optimal uptake of the systemic insecticide.

Mainspring GNL can also be applied as a foliar spray on a 14-day interval when spray coverage is not a limiting factor. Having a 4-hour re-entry interval (REI) allows applications to made without disrupting production schedules.

Poinsettia Agronomic Program

Syngenta has developed an agronomic program for poinsettia production that provides recommendations to control and prevent damage from multiple insect pests and diseases that can impact the quality of your crop. The program provides control options based on their strengths, modes of action and length of control at times when they will provide the maximum benefit. Recognizing that insect and disease pressure can vary in different regions, the program is meant to be a guide, providing solutions with a built in resistance management strategy that will reduce problems, eliminate the need for corrective actions and ensure the production of a high quality crop.

The following excerpt of the agronomic program for poinsettias provides recommendations to help prevent targeted pests and diseases for the first seven weeks of production. The complete poinsettia agronomic program through week 16 can be found at GreenCastOnline.com/Solutions.

 

Recommended applications are preventive (prior to disease). For active infections, shorten the application interval to 7 days and use higher labeled rates.

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1Where Bacterial Leaf Spot is a concern, tank mix Daconil Ultrex with a Mancozeb product.
2When Mainspring GNL insecticide is applied as a drench, it will provide control of key chewing and sucking insect pests for 8 - 10 weeks.

Photos are either the property of Syngenta or used under agreement.
©2017 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties and/or may have state-specific use requirements. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration and proper use. GreenCast®, Mainspring® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.

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