Abstract:
Chlorfenapyr was synthesised by American Cyanamid following isolation of a toxin from the Streptomyces fumanus actinomycete bacterium in 1985. As an insecticidelacaricide, it is primarily active by ingestion against a wide range of fruit pests including leaf rollers, leaf miners, leafhoppers, Tetranychus mites and thrips under both glasshouse and field conditions.
With a novel mode of action, chlorfenayr is active against known resistant insect and mite strains.
When evaluated under worst case laboratory conditions, chlorfenapyr was "harmful" to several beneficials.
An increased level of selectivity was observed when it was evaluated under semi-field conditions but toxic effects were still observed.
However, when the selectivity of chlorfenapyr was evaluated under typical field conditions, it was found to be "safe" to most beneficials.
Chlorfenapyr was also found to be safe to the bumble bee pollinator, Bombus terrestris when introduced as early as two hours after application.
Transient side-effects were observed on predatory mites (Typhlodromus pyri) with recovery taking place from two to four weeks after application.
By contrast, chlorfenapyr was found to be safe to predatory mites of the genus Amblysieus under some, but not all conditions.
In situations where Typhlodromus pyri or other sensitive species are important components of IPM programmes, it is recommended that chlorfenapyr should be used as a single application early in the season, thus combining achieving pest control at a time when predatory mite populations are able to make a full recovery.
With a novel mode of action and selectivity to beneficials, chlorfenapyr is an important new IPM compatible resistance management tool for fruit production.
|