Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/56260
Key Pest Management Tool in Apples Imidan To Remain ® An old adage states that a carpenter is only as good as his tools. The same could be said for apple growers, especially when it comes to controlling the multitude of insect pests intent on destroying their high- value crops. Hort president David Douglas, left, and Jennifer Armen discussed tree fruit interests with Senator Linda Evans-Parlette in her Olympia office. nursing homes, homes, etc.) located within a quarter of a mile of the location to be sprayed aerially or by airblast sprayer. In addition, notice must be given to "…any person outdoors…." Precisely how you are to determine who those folks might be is anybody's guess! Issues such as this one must be dealt with on their merits and require reasonable, thoughtful discussion with open-minded folks to make proponents see that this is regulatory overkill and would be nearly impossible for many growers to comply with. We need those discussions to be with legislators from both parties who bring understanding of what it takes to operate a business and who understand the economic consequences of measures that come before the legislature. We all tend to support our local representative or senator, and many of you do open your checkbooks accordingly at both the state and national levels. What is too often missed is how the makeup of the House or Senate in Olympia also impacts us greatly. We in north central Washington have three Republican legislators who support our interests. It is well to remember that all three are in the minority in House and Senate. Even with our legislative friends in the Yakima districts, we are outnumbered by western Washington's huge population base…and by folks who neither understand the importance of agriculture to the economy of our state nor have any concept of how orchard operations are conducted. We need to educate; we need to help those who understand agriculture get elected all across Washington State. • Unfortunately, apple growers throughout the United States have seen many of their most trusted insect control tools disappear in recent years, including several broad-spectrum organophosphate compounds. For example, EPA will phase out all uses for Guthion® insecticide from Gowan Company. insecticide in the U.S. market by September 30, 2012. But producers can take heart in the fact that one proven product will continue to be available for years to come – Imidan® An economical alternative to newer chemistries As other broad-spectrum insecticides have left the market, Imidan has become a foundation insecticide for apple growers from coast to coast. Apple and cherry grower Paul Hubbell of Orchard View Farms in Williamsburg, MI noted that Imidan plays a vital role in protecting Michigan's tree fruit crops. "With Guthion exiting the market, Imidan will play a huge role in controlling apple maggot, cherry fruit fly and our other key insect pests. Compared to Imidan, the newer insecticides cost much more to start with and need to be sprayed more frequently. When you add it all up, those newer products are way, way more expensive than Imidan on a cost-per-acre basis." Along with the economics of insect control, resistance is another major concern of Hubbell. "If we were to lose our newer products because of resistance issues, we'd really be up against it. That's why we scout our orchards on a regular basis, spray when populations reach threshold levels, and rotate Imidan with the newer classes of chemistry. We believe it's important to be good stewards with all of our insect control products, including Imidan." The foundation for successful IPM programs Imidan also serves as a vital cog in Northwest apple production, Committed to Dedicated Service & Quality Trees For 74 Years & Counting Call to place your custom grown tree order for 2013 delivery Hickman: 209-874-1821 Reedley: 559-638-6675 800-654-5854 www.davewilson.com www.facebook.com/DaveWilsonNursery www.goodfruit.com according to entomologist and independent crop consultant Ron Britt of Ron Britt & Associates, Yakima, WA. "Imidan is a really good fit in most of our IPM and resistance management programs. It provides very good codling moth control in apples and our other tree fruit, plus it doesn't flare mites and aphids like some of the newer compounds. I'm sure we'll be counting on it even more now that Guthion is no longer available." While Britt said it would be hard to quantify the precise value of Imidan to Northwest growers, "It's one of the most important tools in our tool chest. Imidan has a real good fit in IPM because its chemistry is so different than the newer products." The long-term prospects for Imidan Defending the registration status of a product such as Imidan is no easy task. "We've spent well over $10 million worldwide to defend Imidan through three re-registrations, including the U.S., Canada, the European Union and Brazil," stated Cindy Smith, Chief Operating Officer for Gowan Company. "Needless to say, we're behind Imidan 100%, because it's one of the few remaining broad-spectrum insecticides on the market today. Based on everything we hear from university researchers, growers and crop consultants, Imidan continues to be a key IPM tool in tree fruits, nuts and berry crops." When asked to summarize the product's future, Smith commented, "Imidan is here to stay as far as Gowan is concerned. It's one of our key proprietary products and ranks in the Top 10 of all our products in terms of worldwide sales." Always read and follow label directions. Imidan® is a registered trademark of Gowan Company. Guthion® is a registered trademark of MANA © 2012 Gowan Company A D V E R T I S E M E N T GOOD FRUIT GROWER MARCH 1, 2012 37 jim black