Are you prepared to meet them with a highly effective active ingredient that they’ve never seen before? If you’re in ABW territory, chances are you have heard about Quali-Pro’s Suprado, representing the first IRAC Group 15 active ingredient labeled for turf use. Suprado’s active ingredient, novaluron, is an insect growth regulator (IGR) that interferes with chitin production in ABWs. This activity is typically most pronounced in insects when the immature larval stages molt from one instar to the next, which requires the production of a new exoskeleton composed mostly of chitin. Incomplete or “abortive” molting results in death of the ABW larvae, preventing damage to the turf. Suprado also has excellent activity against adults, by rendering them unable to reproduce, and even has activity against eggs that may have already been placed. So, with all these opportunities to target ABW, what timing makes the most sense for your program?
SUPRADO Program Approach
Adult Peak Migration:
For three seasons with multiple 3rd-party researchers, the 1 gallon per acre rate of Suprado applied at adult peak migration has consistently provided excellent prevention of damage, even against pyrethroid-resistant populations. Lab studies have also shown excellent control of existing eggs, which extends the timing window for what has traditionally been an adulticide timing with contact products. So, if replacing a pyrethroid or chlorpyrifos application is the desired approach, leading with Suprado sometime between adult peak migration and seven days after is ideal.
Small and Medium Larvae:
Alternately, equally impressive results have also been achieved by inserting Suprado into the small-to-medium larvae (L1-L3) timings, commonly referred to as stages 2 and 3. This approach targets the internal-feeding larvae as well as those just emerging from the stems to feed externally.
Additional Timings:
Larger larvae (L4-L5) are responsible for most of the visible damage, so selecting a product with more immediate knockdown than Suprado would be a good choice as a last-ditch effort to prevent further damage. That said, Suprado still works very well against these larger larvae as they progress to their next molt. While not a great fit in this specific timing of the first ABW wave, controlling these stages and the smaller larvae, along with the reproductive effects on adults make Suprado a great option to consider for use against subsequent generations moving into the summer, when growth stages become more and more staggered.
The overall efficacy and flexibility of Suprado can make it a strong component of any ABW program, particularly playing an important role in preventing and/or dealing with resistance issues as a brand new alternative mode of action. Be sure to contact your distributor about trying Suprado this season, and please contact us with any additional questions about how Suprado or any of our products can help.
