04/16/07 Getting Control

Getting Control. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Getting and keeping control in your orchard is a key concern, especially at this time of year and with the uncertainty of whether key insecticides will be available Valent USA Corporation is talking with growers about how their Esteem 35 WP Insect Growth Regulator makes sense. Valent's Chuck Cary talks about Esteem. CARY: We're getting a lot of calls right now, Greg, about Esteem mostly because we're in full bloom in pears and approaching bloom in apples and because Esteem can be used without a lot of concerns with bee problems. According to Cary, Esteem works on the development of insects. CARY: Its unique chemistry affects the insect development process. It's particularly effective against controlling scale and it offers growers an excellent alternative to organophosphate chemistry when applied early and particularly right now in the bloom timing. Cary says Esteem is a good product for pears and apples. CARY: It's also a very good ovicide for pear psylla eggs in pear production and something else is usually put in that tank mix to control nymphs that may have already hatched. Esteem can also be used in that same approach for codling moth in apples a little bit later on. Cary recommends reading the label, consulting chemical fieldmen for use and he also suggests.. CARY: Use clean water, always check the tank ph. Esteem is stable in a wide range of ph's in the tank but because it gets absorbed into the leaf it will do best if the ph is in the neutral range to slightly acidic. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.