Dairy farmers and silage producers in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales are relieved to finally have an alternative control option for Fall armyworm (FAW), which has decimated maize crops in the region in several successive seasons.
Agronomist Angus Legoe, who works for Norco AgriSolutions in Casino and provides advice to farmers across the Northern Rivers area, said for both farmers and agronomists, the level of intensity of FAW was the hardest thing to get their heads around initially.
“Norco dairy customers and suppliers, as well as silage growers in the area, really felt the impact of those early infestations a few years ago,” Mr Legoe said.
When Corteva’s Intrepid Edge® Jemvelva® active was approved for the control of FAW in 2023, Mr Legoe said they were thankful another control option had finally come along.
“The good thing about Intrepid Edge is it allows for rotation with other chemistry groups through the growing season,” Mr Legoe said.
“Not having a reliance on a particular group of insecticides, from an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) perspective, is one of the great things about Intrepid Edge.”
To date, the efficacy of Intrepid Edge for the control of FAW has been “really good”, Mr Legoe said.
“We’ve been really happy with how the product has performed and we’ve seen that it will control a fair sized FAW.
“We sprayed Intrepid Edge on maize crops at the four and five-leaf growth stage and the activity was pretty quick; we’ve been able to see it working within a day or two of application and it’s done a really good job.”
Key to this efficacy is the two active ingredients, Jemvelva (spinetoram) and methoxyfenozide, which deliver both a fast-acting knockdown of pests and a residual activity that protects the crop between applications.
“Residual control is just as important as that initial knockdown; having something that remains on the plant or within the plant in those initial stages is really critical,” Mr Legoe said.
“The two modes of action and that residual activity are the key components we’re looking for in a control solution to give us that degree of flexibility through the crop.”
An added benefit, Mr Legoe said, is that it’s safe for beneficial insects.
“Intrepid Edge has done a really good job in making sure those beneficials remain within the crop and are actively moving within the crop looking for eggs and other food sources,” he said.
Resistance management critical to ongoing FAW control
In addition to being soft on key beneficial insects and providing growers flexibility when it comes to control, Corteva Agriscience Territory Account Manager, Adam Harber, said resistance management is critical.
“When FAW arrived in Australia, it had established levels of resistance to many commonly used insecticides, adding another layer of complexity to its control,” Mr Harber said.
“To date, there’s been a heavy reliance on Group 28 insecticides for the control of FAW. Intrepid Edge contains insecticide Groups 5 and 18.
“Having an alternative is a critical factor in resistance management. We recommend using Intrepid Edge as an alternative or in rotation with Group 28s.
“Growers and industry have been working hard together to control this pest, and new tools such as Intrepid Edge now form part of an IPM plan.”
For more information on Intrepid Edge, visit https://www.corteva.com.au/products-and-solutions/crop-protection/intrepidedge-jemvelva-active.html
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