Mastering Mum Production with Mainspring GNL

Many garden mums are grown outdoors in the summer months, exposing them to conditions favorable for insects. To help ensure healthy mums by the time they reach customers in the fall, start scouting early to get ahead of insect pressure. Additionally, supplement scouting efforts with an agronomic program featuring proven products with broad-spectrum control for complete protection against common insects.

What to Watch For

Thrips and aphids can affect garden mums at any stage of production. Controlling thrips is especially important to prevent the spread of viruses such as Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV), which can spread rapidly throughout mums and into other crops. They feed by scraping and piercing plant tissue, resulting in leaf stippling, scarring and distortion. Keeping populations low during production will help minimize pressure when the plants begin to set bud and flower.

Like thrips, aphids can spread viruses such as Chrysanthemum Virus B (CVB) and cause physical damage by using their piercing mouthparts to extract fluids from stems, leaves and other plant parts. Scout frequently as populations can build quickly, especially in warmer conditions. Like thrips, aphids prefer to feed on young, tender terminals so watch these areas closely.

Scouting Tip: Hold white paper under the plants and shake or tap the foliage to dislodge pests or whitish cast skins. This will help reveal thrips and aphid colonies that might be hidden in the foliage. Be sure to inspect new shipments of mums upon arrival for evidence of pests.

An Added Line of Defense

Pairing thorough scouting with a proven insecticide such as Mainspring® GNL reduces the threat of insects in your operation. Mainspring GNL is a systemic insecticide from the diamide chemistry class that provides extended protection as a spray or drench. This application flexibility helps you target all insects on your mums, whether they are in the upper canopy or on the undersides of leaves. In a recent survey of greenhouse and nursery growers, 96% of respondents reported that this application flexibility is valuable to their business.*

Treatment Graph
DAT=Days After Treatment
Drench treatments applied once; foliar spray applied on a 14-day interval
2013 - Altech, Illinois

Mainspring GNL can be used throughout mum production to target not only thrips and aphids, but other pests including leafminers, whiteflies and worms. It quickly paralyzes insects and stops them from feeding, which limits disease transmission and unsightly damage to foliage and flowers. It provides extended protection through its systemic and translaminar movement to prevent insect populations from building to damaging levels. In the same survey, 94% of surveyed greenhouse and nursery growers agreed that they trust Mainspring GNL to offer long-lasting residual insect control.* A longer period of control saves you time and labor on repeated applications and reduces overall plant damage caused by insect feeding.

Visit GreenCastOnline.com/MainspringGNL to learn more about protecting mums and other crops with Mainspring GNL.


*Survey of 110 nursery and greenhouse growers in the U.S. conducted via TechValidate in Dec. 2021.

All photos are either property of Syngenta or are used with permission.

© 2022 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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