Key Points

• As an organically certified, food grade paraffinic oil, BIOPEST™ is one of the most phyto-safe paraffinic oils available for use in tree cropping.
  
  
• BIOPEST™ has an extensive label covering a wide range of pests, crops, and tank mix partners.
  
  
• Although BIOPEST™ has been used extensively in key horticultural crops for over 20 years, SACOA continue to invest in research to provide industries with best practice information on the use of BIOPEST™ for controlling newly emerging pests.
  
  
• Recent research conducted during autumn 2018 in collaboration with DPIRD WA on Six-spotted mites in avocados has proven the benefits of using BIOPEST™ in combination with a range of miticides.
  
  
• For best results BIOPEST™ should be applied in a spray volume which achieves full leaf runoff at a timing targeting immature pest stages or early developing pest populations.
  
  
• BIOPEST™ is safe to apply in combination with a range of other products at all tree stages – applying under quick drying conditions, on non-stressed trees and avoiding applications at full bloom will reduce the risk of foliar damage.
  

Key Points

• Widespread insecticide applications to control early season insect pests has resulted in the flaring of late season pests like whitefly, mirids, mealy bug and mites.
• Use BIOPEST^® stand alone to minimise oviposition and prevent a population build up of whitefly, aphids and mirids.
• Use BIOPEST^® in mixtures with commonly used insecticides like Admiral, Transform, Pegasus & Mainman to improve efficacy and reduce the potential for resistance development
• BIOPEST^® is safe on beneficials, will not cause flaring of pests and should be used as the basis for an IPM strategy

Key Points

• Use Enhance in mixtures with glyphosate to reduce drift and improve coverage
• Use Plantocrop in mixtures with GRP A herbicides and the paraquat double knock to improve leaf uptake

Key Points

• Mite populations can flare following insecticide applications or with warm, dusty conditions.
• BIOPEST^® has been shown to successfully reduce mite populations as an early-midsummer foliar applied prior to populations building.
• Many miticides are registered to be used in mixtures with BIOPEST^® to improve coverage and efficacy.
• BIOPEST^® is registered in its own right for control of a range of mite species either at the dormant timing or as a foliar application in a range of crops at rates of 1-3L/100L.
• For best results, always ensure thorough coverage with adequate water volumes under quick drying conditions and avoid spraying stressed crops or during full bloom.
• Some miticides breakdown rapidly in alkaline water so should always be used in combination with a pH buffer.

Recent storm events in WA - have played havoc with harvest and also brought about a germination of weeds that aren’t commonly seen until well into mid summer.

The ability to "store" this summer rain, by controlling weeds presents an opportunity to set up the 2018 season - a strategy which has well proven yield advantages.

The 3 month BOM outlook - indicates the potential for
10-20mm across much of the WA wheatbelt

Key Points

• BIOPEST® acts as both a fungicide and insecticide.
• BIOPEST^® is superior to chloro sprays in reducing the severity and incidence of yellow sigatoka in bananas.
• Chloro sprays can cause mite flaring which reduces quality and yield.
• BIOPEST^® provides excellent secondary mite control.
• BIOPEST^® is now registered for tank mixing with the new fungicide Luna Privilege® and miticide Paramite^®.

Key Points

BIOPEST^® has been the product of choice for pest control in many orchards for over a decade, with many unique characteristics including;

• Safe to beneficials – particularly pollinators, perfect IPM fit.
• Organically certified – with no residue issues.
• No risk of resistance development – due to unique physical and behaviour modification actions.
• Pure and optimal weight oil – highest level of refining possible means less risk of crop damage, whilst maintaining high levels of pest control.
• Extensive label for a wide range of tree crops and situations.
• Compatible with a number of products including foliar fertilisers – backed by ongoing field evaluation.

Key Points

• BIOPEST^® is an effective disease and pest control option in grapes.
• IPM friendly and organically certified.
• No potential for resistance development.
• Registered for applications up until bunch closure (E-L stage 31).

Key Points

• ENHANCE^® and ANTIEVAP^® increase efficacy by improving coverage, droplet survival and active ingredient uptake.
• In denser crops, the addition of ENHANCE^® and ANTIEVAP^® will increase droplet size thus increasing penetration through the canopy.
• Higher water rates improve coverage on small grass weeds.
• Adhere to product labels to ensure MRL’s are not breached and markets compromised.

This tech note discusses the ability for BIOPEST to improve fungicide efficacy when used for the treatment of sclerotinia in Canola. As an effective aphid management tool, BIOPEST provides additional benefits by keeping aphid populations below economic thresholds and is safe to apply in mixtures with liquid UAN.

What Is It?

BIOPEST® is a high-grade paraffinic oil developed and formulated specifically to be safe to apply to leaf surfaces whilst still maintaining insecticidal & fungicidal properties. Over the last five years, BIOPEST has been extensively field tested in a range of Australian winter crops and has proven to be extremely effective:
As an IPM friendly alternative and/or tank mix partner to traditional insecticides for:
• Green Peach & Cabbage/Turnip aphid management in canola
• Aphids in cereals including Russian Wheat aphid
• DBM in canola
As an effective tank mix partner to improve fungicide effectiveness on a range of diseases including:
• Canola diseases such as blackleg & sclerotinia
• Cereal disease including powdery mildew, net blotch & yellow spot
As an effective tank mix partner to improve the effectiveness of a range of herbicides for:
• TT, RR & IT Canola
• Grass and Broadleaf herbicides in cereals

If you thought the boomspray seems to be getting more of a workout in summer than winter in recent years – you’d be correct. Changes in rainfall patterns have seen a marked shift away from the traditional winter dominant Mediterranean climate to higher summer rainfall, marked by less frequent but heavier rainfall events, and a shift in summer weed spectrum – from broadleaves to more tropical type grasses.

For Southern Australia’s predominantly winter cropping system – this has presented a number of challenges – later & less reliable autumn breaks – with less in-crop winter rainfall, offset by higher summer rain and a shift in weed type has meant “storing” summer rainfall by controlling weeds, to ensure adequate soil moisture leading into winter crop seeding is now crucial to maximising yield.

• Adjuvants should be matched to the most important herbicide in the mix & the dominant weed targeted
• Droplet survival and drift reduction are critical for effective summer weed control
• ANTIEVAP^® & ENHANCE^® have proven superior to LI700 type products in Glyphosate, Triclopyr and Ester mixes
• Non-ionic surfactants should be avoided in summer spraying – as they reduce droplet size, offer no leaf penetration, and increase the risk of off-target damage

SACOA’s cotton products BIOPEST®, ENHANCE® and CROPSHIELD® have been developed specifically to improve the performance of cotton specific chemistry and in the case of BIOPEST® provide standalone pest control.

ENHANCE®
Higher emulsifier loaded products like ENHANCE® facilitate rapid defoliation and are fit for the 0.5L/ha use rate

CROPSHIELD®
Fit for the 1L/ha use rate as a DC-Tron® replacement

BIOPEST®
Use as a Canopy® equivalent for standalone control of sucking pests and in tank mixtures with glyphosate.

Our independently conducted defoliation research aims to provide simplified solutions and solid replicated data to prove the performance of our products.

 KEY POINTS

• BIOPEST^® increases droplet size and survival, reduces drift and increases leaf coverage which improves the effectiveness and longevity of NPV.
• Good coverage is critical for optimal results.
• BIOPEST^® has activity in its own right on Helicoverpa by reducing egg laying.

 Key Points

1. Good coverage is critical –particularly to protect lower leaves where infection from rain splash spores can be initiated.
2. Many protectant type fungicides such as procymidone require adjuvants to improve leaf coverage, uptake and rainfastness.
3. The unique characteristics of BIOPEST® as a spreader and sticker improve the efficacy of fungicides by increasing droplet size for targeting lower leaves, increasing coverage & uptake on hard to wet waxy canola leaf surfaces and increasing the persistence of preventative fungicides through improved rainfastness.
4. As an effective aphid management tool, BIOPEST has the added benefit of reducing the potential for aphid populations to build - when used as a carrier for fungicides.

Over the last few seasons, SACOA has been conducting research to confirm BIOPEST's ability to effectively manage aphids in canola. The findings from this research confirms BIOPEST's role as an effective management solution for aphids in canola, as well as a range of other commercial crops.

BIOPEST delivers high levels of rapid mortality, with most mortality occurring within 15 minutes of spraying. This is supported by multiple modes of action impacting pest behaviour and their role as a disease vector.

BIOPEST can be used as a standalone solution and preventative when mixed with other post-emergent applications.

Click here to download this Tech Note (PDF)

 Key Points

Tank mixing issues can be avoided by…

• Using correct mixing order
• Fill tank with 50% water before adding product
• Maintaining good agitation
• Using clean good quality water
• Jar testing if unsure of compatibility
• Being patient!

Many tank mix issues are recoverable without dumping the mix!

 Key Points
• X-SEED® is a food-grade canola oil most commonly used in sugar cane and grapes that assists in reducing drift, improves wetting and rainfastness and increases coverage of many herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.
• X-SEED^® is compatible with most commonly used agricultural and horticultural products. It is often used with wettable sulphur to control grape vine rust mite.
• The drift reduction properties of X-SEED^® make it an ideal partner for both contact and translocated herbicides.

Key Points

• Use BIOPEST^® with glyphosate to minimise oviposition and prevent a population build up of white fly, aphids and mirids.
• BIOPEST^® is compatible with a broad range of insecticides.
• BIOPEST^® is safe on beneficials.

• Match the correct adjuvant to the herbicide mode of action, weed spectrum and environmental conditions to maximise herbicide efficacy and reduce the risk of off-­ target damage.
• Leaf surface coverage and droplet survival are key determinants of herbicide efficacy.
• Adjuvants vary in their base ingredient types and level of emulsification, resulting in differences in spreading and penetrating properties.

• The right herbicide and rate for the weed spectrum.
• The right adjuvant to maximise droplet survival, leaf coverage and penetration, whilst reducing drift. Depending on the adjuvant used, initial herbicide efficacy and time taken for complete control can vary by up to 50%.
• The right boomspray setup - coarse nozzles for drift control and high water volume for best coverage.
• The right adjuvant - new independent research indicates that in glyphosate and ester mixtures, high emulsifier loaded oil-based adjuvants such as ENHANCE^® and ANTI-EVAP^® provide the best efficacy on a range of summer weeds such as melons, fleabane and feathertop Rhodes grass.
• Benefits of the double knock – importance of coverage and leaf penetration for non- translocated herbicides.

Key Points

• ENHANCE^® and PLANTOCROP^® increase efficacy by improving coverage, droplet survival and active ingredient uptake.
• In denser crops, the addition of ENHANCE^® and PLANTOCROP^® will increase droplet size thus increasing penetration through the canopy.
• Higher water rates improve coverage on small grass weeds.
• Adhere to product labels to ensure MRL’s are not breached and markets compromised.

Key Points

• Glyphosate is more effective early.
• Paraquat can be applied later than glyphosate.
• Clover seed set can be reduced if sprayed during flowering.
• Use ENHANCE^® or ANTI-EVAP^® for spray topping.

Key Points

• Fungicide activity can be increased with the use of adjuvants by improving coverage, droplet survival and increasing leaf surface penetration.
• As a general rule, protectant fungicides should be matched with adjuvants that improve leaf surface coverage, whilst curative fungicides work best with penetrant type adjuvants.
• Using low quality mineral oils or low quality methylated seed oils with fungicides can increase the risk of damage to plant tissue.
• CROPSHIELD^® and ENHANCE^® provide excellent efficacy and safe delivery of systemic fungicides such as Tebuconazole (Folicur^®) and Propiconazole (Tilt^®).
• PLANTOCROP^® is an esterified seed oil with penetrant properties which can improve fungicide activity, through increasing plant uptake.
• BIOPEST^® is synergistic with fungicides such as Prosaro^® due to its spreading and protectant properties and has the additional benefit of providing aphid knockdown and anti-feed effects.

Recent outbreaks of aphids in WA canola have seen growers looking for alternatives to traditional insecticides, which can be harsh on beneficials and rapidly develop resistance.
BIOPEST^® has been proven with independent replicated field work to provide cost effective control of cabbage and turnip aphid as well as green peach aphid, without harming beneficial populations.

Key Points

• Target correct pest and tree stage.
• Ensure thorough coverage and penetration of canopy to reach the target.
• Consider whether to use dormant or foliar applications.
• SACOA’s products use premium, highly refined isoparraffins which exclude some of the aromatics without affecting their effectiveness against mite pests.
• Ensure correct mixing practices.

Key Points

• BIOPEST^® is a highly refined paraffinic oil for aphid management in canola and cereals.
• BIOPEST^® works by interfering with the virus transmission process, modifying the behaviour of aphids and causing the aphids to suffocate.
• Use BIOPEST^® as a preventative at 1% as a tank mix partner in post emergent applications.
• Use BIOPEST^® as a curative either standalone or in a tank mix.

Key Points

• Use the correct water rate
• Use the correct nozzle
• Use the correct target pressure
• Spray when weather conditions won’t compromise the spray job
• Consider the coverage, spreading, penetration and droplet-modifying characteristics of an adjuvant when partnering with a herbicide
• Use tools available to check the boomspray setup

Key Points

• Select the correct adjuvant based on mode of action of most important active.
• ENHANCE® was as safe as Uptake® on both cereals and canola.
• Weed control with herbicide mixtures containing ENHANCE® was equivalent to Uptake®.
• PLANTOCROP® proved equivalent to Hasten® on canola, with no difference in weed control.
• Alternative adjuvants provided no advantages but did cause mixing and nozzle blocking issues, particularly under cold conditions.
• Generally mineral oils, such as ENHANCE®, proved more efficacious on mixed populations of grass and broadleaves, whilst methylated seed oils, such as PLANTOCROP®, proved more efficacious on grass weed populations.

Pre-Dilution

The viscosity of SE14 means it has the potential to be slow to pump, particularly under cold conditions. One solution is to pre-dilute with your required concentration of water and then add to liquid UAN immediately prior to use. Dilution with water prior to adding to UAN can be done before seeding and is best carried out in the middle of the day when temperatures are higher. The higher the dilution rate, the more readily pumped SE14 becomes. SE14 has been proven to be stable in storage tests with water, with pre-diluted mixtures able to be stored up to 4 weeks prior to use and still remain in solution. However, some stirring/agitation prior to use in the seeding bar may be useful.

During the summer of 2014/15, SACOA set out to find the best herbicide and adjuvant combinations for controlling difficult weeds using in-field efficacy trials.

A number of independent replicated field trials have now been completed across northern NSW, southern Queensland and Western Australia.
The results have provided some interesting takes on traditional herbicide mixtures and proved the role of different adjuvant types – emulsified mineral oils, esterified seed oils, non-ionic surfactants and soyal phospholipids - in spreading and penetrating actives on leaf surfaces.

1. What are the best adjuvant options for glyphosate mixtures?
2. How are group A’s affected by different types of adjuvants and which is the best option?
3. How effective is the double knock?
4. Which adjuvants work best with paraquat?
5. Are adjuvants with water conditioning properties of any benefit?

• Liquid banding at seeding enables accurate placement of fertiliser, crop protection products and soil ameliorants
• Placement can vary from on top of the furrow, below, to the side or with the seed
• There are a wide variety of setups available with varying cost, complexity and flexibility
• SACOA’s IRRIGATOR® was the first broadacre banded product designed to ameliorate non-wetting soils
• There are a wide variety of setups available with varying cost, complexity and flexibility
• SACOA’s IRRIGATOR® was the first broadacre banded product designed to ameliorate non-wetting soils
• SACOA’s LURE® was launched in 2011 as a boomspray-applied rainfall harvest tool
• A new seed zone establishment product will be launched in 2015

 • Whether applying NPV by air or ground rig – coverage and droplet survival is critical

• BIOPEST has been proven to increase droplet size and survival, reduce drift and increase leaf coverage – improving the effectiveness and longevity of NPV.

• BIOPEST has activity in its own right on Helicoverpa by reducing egg laying

• Droplet survival on leaf surfaces is a key determinant of herbicide efficacy

• ANTIEVAP and ENHANCE improve droplet survival and final herbicide efficacy

• ANTIEVAP and ENHANCE have been proven superior to LI700 in Triclopyr, Glyphosate & LVE mixes for melon control.

This technical data sheet provides an overview of the key factors influencing spray oil quality.

Quality = Effectiveness + Safety

Spray oils vary considerably in quality. It is important to understand how they differ so you can use the right oil in the right circumstances.

The quality of the spray oil you use will define two things:

Effectiveness: How effective it will work in helping control fungal disease and pests.

Safety: How safe it will be to the fruit, tree and environment.