Fantastic thrip control in onions at Virginia and the Murraylands

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The introduction of Success® Neo Jemvelva® active, from Corteva Agriscience, into the onion spray programs at Virginia and the Murraylands, South Australia has proved a fantastic option for Muirs agronomist, Jack Van der Westhuizen.

Mr Van der Westhuizen works with several onion growers in the Murray Bridge and Virginia areas, where thrips are a pest of concern during the season.

“If thrips get into the crop they get under the skin, and you see rasping. They are a vector for diseases, so we’d like to keep the crop as clean as possible.”

Muirs agronomist, Jack Van der Westhuizen said Success Neo is one of the best products he has seen on thrips in onions.

He said a grower was looking for alternative options for thrip control last year and they decided to give Success Neo a try.

“We sprayed it and three days later the crop was clean. I was amazed. I’ve now had feedback from many growers, and they have been very happy with the results.”

Onions are susceptible to western flower thrip and onion thrip and Mr Van der Westhuizen said he monitors the crops and recommends a spray before the numbers get too high.

“When threshold numbers are reached, we’ll come in with a spray. Success Neo can be applied three times, per season, and back-to-back, so we are looking at two earlier on and one later in the season if needed. It’s a tool growers can use closer to harvest as it is just a three-day withholding period.”

He recommends a range of products throughout the growing season and will normally come in with Success Neo at the mid to late bulbing stage, at the vital vegetative stage of the onion.

“Success Neo has activity on both nymph and adult thrips. The onions are really clean afterwards. I’ve never seen anything as good.”

“I saw the Corteva guys at a conference and went up and said it was one of the best products I’ve seen working on thrips.”

Mr Van der Westhuizen said it had been important to look at a rotational options with other insecticides and Success Neo had proved to be an excellent choice.

It is a Group Five pesticide so a brand-new mode of action on onion thrips and comes at a time where thrips are becoming less susceptible, or even resistant, to other products.

“We’ve also applied it with fungicides like Zorvec® and Fontelis® and a range of other products and it has mixed really well.”

Several onion growers are looking at Integrated Pest Management (IPM) alternatives in the crop with more favourable options such as Success Neo proving ideal for this purpose.

It contains Jemvelva active, which is derived from a soil bacteria.

Success Neo is a highly selective product which works well on thrips while leaving beneficial insects such as bugs, beetles and lacewings in the crop.

These beneficials play a role in controlling thrip populations that may emerge in the weeks following an insecticide application.

By helping keep numbers down they can delay subsequent insecticide applications and control thrips that may be resistant to pesticides.