With harvest quickly approaching for avocado and macadamia growers across Queensland, the first season of Trivor applications in these crops has shown encouraging results.

Trivor insecticide from Adama received a label extension in August 2019 for the control of a range of key pests in avocados, macadamias, mangoes and grapes and included several additions to its registered uses in citrus.

This is the first season it has been used for the control of fruit/banana spotting bug, mealybugs and scale in avocados, macadamias and mangoes and the suppression of fruit flies in avocados, citrus and mangoes.

Adama Australia portfolio manager insecticides and nematicides Jonathan McDonald says feedback from growers and agronomists this first year has been excellent.

“Trivor has been well received this season with great reports of rapid knockdown and cessation of feeding of fruit/banana spotting bug, whilst also providing control of several other secondary pests such as scale and mealy bugs,” he said.

“Extensive trials have shown that Trivor protects marketable yield in avocado, macadamia and mango crops from fruit/banana spotting bug, but it is always refreshing to hear feedback from growers and advisors on a commercial application that has gone really well.

“Trivor has given growers and advisors another product to improve rotational options not only for resistance management but also reducing impact on beneficial insects.”

Mr McDonald said Trivor can be successfully incorporated into integrated pest management programs.

“Compared to common standard active ingredients, such as beta-cyfluthrin and trichlorfon, Trivor has shown to reduce flares of secondary pests, such as mealybugs, thrips and scale,” he said.

“It has been vital to target fruit/banana spotting bugs at the earliest sign of when monitoring suggests activity and spray coverage has been critical when controlling this pest.

“Trivor should be used as part of a management program for spotting bug control with rotation to other modes of action at a minimum 14-day spray interval when required.”

Trivor combines acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen, two highly effective and trusted active ingredients from the Group 4A and Group 7C insecticide groups, in a dispersible concentrate formulation.

It has excellent physical and biological compatibility with a range of other insecticides and fungicides for one-pass insect and disease control.

Trivor does not require the addition of an adjuvant to achieve maximum efficacy, providing excellent flexibility when implementing fungicide rotation programs.

Biocompatibility and spray timing trial work is ongoing as new rotation option insecticides and fungicides become available, such as Custodia for husk spot in macadamias.