The challenge of a very wet spring in many almond growing regions has put the focus on robust insecticide options to contain an anticipated influx of pests.

Sunraysia and Riverland territory manager Nick Weckert from Corteva Agriscience, said there were early indications in other crops of high pressure with lepidopteran pests due to the seasonal conditions.

“In almonds, carob moth is a pest that can cause significant damage and growers should be aware of the potential of greater numbers and the need to choose chemistries carefully.”

He said Delegate insecticide was an excellent choice under the challenging conditions because of its performance on hard to kill pests, whilst conserving beneficial insects.

“Delegate insecticide is fast acting and controls eggs and all larvae stages. Importantly, it controls via both ingestion and contact, providing options both at application and in the days the follow.

“Significantly, it has very little effect on predatory arthropods, including ladybird beetles, lacewings, and spiders. Beneficial insects can aid by controlling insect pests and ultimately reducing the need for secondary insecticide applications.”

Delegate has been used by local almond growers for the past two seasons and as a Group 5 insecticide also offers a new mode of action to help with resistance management.

“There are Group 28 insecticides being used and Delegate provides an excellent alternative to these,” Mr Weckert said. “Unfortunately, the repeated use of Group 28 chemistries in other industries both in Australia and overseas has seen a rapid rise in the cases of insecticide resistance.”

“There is growing concern about Group 28 chemistries in the Australian agriculture industry, so the availability of Delegate as a Group 5 provides a great alternative for almond growers.

“By using Delegate, growers are switching to an alternative product and also helping to delay resistance in at-risk chemistries so they can be a viable choice into the future.”

Mr Weckert said Corteva was also evaluating Delegate as a control option for other almond pests and researchers and farmers have noted activity on carpophilus beetle (carpophilus truncates).

He said previous grower trials have looked very promising in being able to successfully control carpophilus beetle. “The application timing at the early hull-split stage for the control of Carob moth doubles as the ideal time to control carpophilus beetle.

“Corteva will continue to evaluate Delegate as a viable option for carpophilus beetle and a decision to add the pest to the label will be made in the near future.”

Mr Weckert said the wet conditions of 2022 will also be likely to increase the number and frequency of fungicide applications and highlight the need for compatible products in a tank mix.

“Delegate is a wettable granule formulation which is easy to mix and handle and is extremely compatible with a wide range of fungicides and other products.

“An application rate of just 20 grams per 100 litres makes it ideal for use in almond orchards. It also has a favourable environmental and toxicology profile with a short WHP and re-entry period.”

Good coverage is critical to maximise pest control and reduce the likelihood of a second application.