Growers Seek Alternatives to Loss of Chlorpyrifos
February 21, 2022 – With the loss of chlorpyrifos, sugar beet growers are searching for solutions to early season pest problems – particularly for sugar beet root maggot control. AgLogic™ aldicarb is one of those options.
“AgLogic is a very important crop protection material available to us at a time when we are losing options,” says Erik Wenninger, Ph.D., Entomologist, University of Idaho, Kimberly Research and Extension Center. “The product is very effective against sugar beet root maggot. When populations are especially high, it provides a level of control that becomes increasingly important in terms of yield potential.”
As a preventative measure applied at-planting, AgLogic aldicarb protects against sugar beet root maggots, nematodes as well as aphids, leafminers, and leafhoppers.
“Sugar beet root maggot control is by far the most important,” Wenninger says, “but growers might also gain some added value in control or suppression of minor pests.”
Despite a concerted industry-wide effort to keep chlorpyrifos on the market for further review, the EPA banned all uses on food and feed crops effective February 28, 2022. Chlorpyrifos is commonly marketed under the brand names Lorsban, Stallion and many other generic names in the sugar beet market. All products that include chlorpyrifos – whether a stand-alone generic or a mix with other compounds – are banned effective February 28, 2022.There is no grace period for existing inventory or supplies. The ruling has left many growers in multiple crops scrambling to find alternatives. The options vary depending on the crop.
“The impact of the loss of chlorpyrifos to sugar beet growers is substantial,” says Gregg Harman, Vice President Ag Retail/Wholesale at Land View, Inc. “The list keeps shrinking. In southern Idaho, root maggot can put intense pressure on sugar beets. The loss of chlorpyrifos really minimizes the choices sugar beet growers have on what they can use. AgLogic aldicarb can and will play an important role in controlling these pest pressures.”
Sugar beet root maggot can be one of the most destructive pests in sugar beet production, feeding on roots during its three larval stages. Yield and sucrose content are diminished, and stands can be significantly reduced by damage to the taproot.
The pest can be very difficult to predict from year-to-year. Multiple factors such as weather, prior crop rotations and even irrigation can impact the severity of the problem.
“Sugar beet root maggot can have a significant negative impact on yields,” Wenninger says. “That impact varies from year to year, but it’s something you absolutely have to watch for every season.”
AgLogic aldicarb, formerly marketed as Temik, has been a mainstay for sugar beet root maggot control for most of the 50 years it has been registered. It was briefly unavailable from 2010-2016.
“Most sugar beet growers remember and have had experience with aldicarb under the brand name Temik over the years,” Harman says. “They understand how effective it is. When it was unavailable for several years, they were forced to move to other chemistries like chlorpyrifos. Now that one is gone, but they have AgLogic aldicarb again to fill the void, and it has a long history of proven performance.”