| The Presidential Green (environmentally
friendly) Chemistry Challenge Award for 1999 was presented to Dow AgroSciences
for the product ‘Spinosad’ discovered by Garry Thompson. The product is a
metabolyte of the soil organism Actinomycete saccharopolyspora sptnosa.
This product combines the efficiency of a synthetic insecticide with the
environmental and human safety often associated with biological products. In
particular insects do not build up resistance to ‘Spininosad’ and therefore it
is very useful to use in integrated pest management and can be alternated with
the application of chemical products for which insects do build up a
resistance. The product is available under the name ‘Conserve SC’. In recents
tests against Western Flower Thrips ‘Conserve’ has proved positive although it
needs to be applied at the very first signs of thrip damage because there is a
somewhat delayed action. It affects all life stages except the eggs. It is not
systemic but does penetrate leaf tissue and has a residual action of 5-10 days.
Commercial Greenhouse Grower www.dowagroscience.com |
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