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By Jon Hamill, Technical Lead, Syngenta
Increasing pressure from onion maggot demands growers push back with multi-season management plans that address resistance management and deliver high efficacy.
A treatment plan should rotate multiple active ingredients (AIs) year-on-year. Spinosad has been effective for more than a decade, but rotating AIs is critical for continued protection to prevent resistance from developing.
Although onion maggot is an important insect pest to control, an effective insect and disease program should consider all pests and diseases that are difficult to manage in your field. Other repeat offenders might include seedcorn maggots, onion thrips and leafminers. Key diseases to look out for in the upcoming season are Rhizoctonia, Fusarium and Pythium.
Growers can start with a seed treatment that offers multiple modes of action against insects and diseases. With this option in mind, I recommend FarMore FI500 Onion seed treatment with Trigard OMC. The difference between this new FarMore F1500 Onion seed treatment and the older one is that it replaces Regard SC with Trigard OMC. Containing three fungicides and two powerful seed-applied insecticides (Trigard OMC + Cruiser 5FS), this new FarMore FI500 Onion seed treatment offers direct-seeded onion growers early-season insect and disease protection to increase opportunity for a healthy, vigorous stand while also offering increased protection against onion maggots and seedcorn maggots.
This year, Syngenta will be offering the FarMore FI500 package with either Trigard or Regard options. However, to help minimize resistance in the onion maggot populations, we will be transitioning to Trigard only after 2022. This will be a shift from the active ingredient in Regard of spinosad to the active ingredient of cyromazine in Trigard. Cruiser 5FS will still be included in the FarMore F1500 package, as well. Recent trials with Dr. Brian Nault at Cornell University show a high level of efficacy from Trigard OMC insecticide seed treatment in the new FarMore F1500 package.
It’s never too early to start planning your defense against yield-robbing insects and diseases. Get ahead of potential pests and diseases by strategizing a plan that will provide you with the highest yield and quality opportunity. Work with your local seed treater, local extension agents and agronomic advisers now – during the pre-planting season – to stay ahead of potential threats to your yield.
