1st December 2023

This was always going to put a smile on the face of northern croppers compared with some of their existing practices against these pests, and it has certainly played-out that way following their prompt uptake of Skope insecticide, developed by ADAMA Australia.

Ideal for use in summer pulses, but also where sucking as well as chewing pest control is required in winter crops like faba beans, Skope contains 32.5 grams per litre of emamectin (Group 6) and 218g/L of acetamiprid, the first Group 4A active ingredient registered for sucking pests in summer pulses.

“Instead of tank mixing, it’s great to have a co-formulation of active ingredients to control a wide range of sucking and chewing pests in the one brew using a nice rate range. It’s the only product we are aware of that controls sucking and chewing pests in the one can,’’ said Jim O’Connor, Market Development Manager with ADAMA Australia for Queensland and the Northern Territory.

“An application of Skope at 160 millilitres/ha contains the equivalent emamectin as the maximum label rate of alternate insecticides, however it can be applied at up to 320mL/ha, so growers have the option to apply double the amount of emamectin on their crop with Skope if needed.

“It is a really robust rate range that is not available with any other product – you cannot get access to this rate range with another product.’’

As a result, in addition to avoiding tank mixing, the strong control provided by Skope can eliminate the need for later insecticide applications, also further improving its cost-effectiveness compared with alternate tank mixes that may be required.

Skope was originally registered for use in cotton, where it controls silverleaf whitefly, green mirid and green vegetable bug, as well as helicoverpa when required.

It is ideal for use in mungbeans, navy beans and soybean summer pulse crops in Queensland and Northern New South Wales. It provides control of helicoverpa, green vegetable bug and green mirid in mungbeans and targets bean pod borer and red banded shield bug in soybean.

Jim said the pests can cause devastating grain yield and quality losses.

“Growers rarely get through a season without a sucking pest spray and a helicoverpa spray,’’ he said.

“With summer pulses, sucking pest control is focused pre-flowering and then helicoverpa post-flowering, however you can have situations where sucking pest control also is needed in the post-flowering, helicoverpa window. You can also have helicoverpa present in the pre-flowering phase and they can be important to control for managing the population later, but mirids are the main focus in the early stage.’’

Jim said the Groups 4A and 6 active ingredients in Skope effectively provided an ideal rotation partner for insecticide programs, helping to relieve selective pressure for resistance particularly with Groups 28 and 22A insecticides.

“Certainly, with helicoverpa, resistance is an issue we are aware of, with Groups 28 and 22A products developing some low levels of resistance in the field where they have been over-used. However, there has been no recorded field resistance to emamectin in helicoverpa armigeria (cotton bollworm) populations in Australia.’’

“So, it’s a viable option to rotate Groups 28 and 22A insecticides with Skope and also get the benefit of sucking pest control from the co-formulation.’’

It is also highly compatible with a wide range of products. Jim said it was often applied with Veritas Opti for powdery mildew control in summer pulse crops, and to control ascochyta blight and botrytis in winter pulses.

When pest thresholds are reached, Skope should be applied with an adjuvant selected according to the primary pest targeted. It offers translaminar activity, while limited systemic activity reinforces the need for thorough spray coverage.

Higher pest pressure situations can be targeted with higher rates for faster knockdown and longer residual control.

Matt Skerman, Agronomist with Nutrien at Dalby in Queensland, recalled previously recommending the use of Skope when threshold levels of helicoverpa, green mirid and green vegetable bug were identified in a crop of mungbeans.

The crop was at early flowering stage and Matt considered the two active ingredients in Skope would be “a good fit’’ to control all three species and allow opportunity to use alternate chemistry later in the crop cycle if required.

He said the insecticide worked well, resulting in a “clean check sheet’’ post-application, and, as the season continued, no further insect sprays were required. It was a pleasing result at a competitive price compared with alternate mixes that would have been required to treat the same population.

Matt said another benefit was the opportunity to reduce selection pressure on the commonly used Group 28 chemistry.

He said the result was very encouraging for the future use of Skope in summer pulse crops.

Special offer – for the month of December, Nutrien Reward members will receive double points on purchases of Skope® insecticide and RX-380™*, and get closer to qualifying for the USA Study tour – find out more here**!

Read more about Skope Insecticide

[Photo 1: Maturing mungbean pods in irrigated mungbeans St George, QLD.]

[Photo 2: Matt Skerman, Agronomist with Nutrien at Dalby in Queensland.]

*The ADAMA Skope and RX-380 Double Points promotion is valid nationally to Nutrien Rewards Members. To be eligible for the double points offer, the Nutrien Rewards member must purchase ADAMA Skope and/or RX-380 from any Nutrien Ag Solutions store that is part of the Nutrien Rewards Program between 1 December and 31 December 2023 (inclusive) using their Nutrien Account. Points will be applied to the Member’s Nutrien Rewards account the following month. Please see Nutrien Rewards Terms and Conditions for more details.

**Terms and conditions apply. See more at here.

The information provided in this article is intended as a guide only. Information contained in this article has been provided by the manufacturer. You should not rely on the information in this article, and it should not be considered advice. You should seek professional advice regarding relevant factors specific to your situation. This article does not take into account variable conditions that may impact performance. Always read and follow label directions before using any product in this article. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Nutrien Ag Solutions Limited and its related associated entities will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by any person arising out of any reliance on any information contained in this article.