Sumitomo Chemical do Brasil registered its biological insecticide Dipel ES-NT (Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki). Among other biological targets, the product is recommended for the control of Helicoverpa armigera - a plague that has caused one of the greatest losses to Brazilian agriculture in the last few years.
Besides being recommended for the caterpillar, Dipel ES-NT is indicated also effective for the control of the biological targets: the cotton leafworm (Alabama argillacea), the great southern white (Asciamonusteorseis), the sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis), the citrus fruit borer (Ecdytolopha aurantiana), the soybean looper (Chrysodeixis includens), the tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta) and the cabbage looper (Trichoplusiani).
According to Sumitomo, in order to obtain a greater efficiency for the control of plagues with the Dipel ES-NT, it is necessary to synchronize the application at the time of maximum activity of the caterpillars, which occurs in the larval stages. The holder of the registration recommends “constant monitoring” of plagues to detect the best application time, with new applications being recommended in cases of reinfestation of caterpillars.
The biological insecticide has agronomic efficiency in several crops, among them are cotton, soybeans, wheat, kidney beans, corn, sorghum, rice, oat, barley, sunflower, sugarcane, and citrus. It is indicated for the application on cucurbits, lettuce, garlic, beetroot, broccoli, onion, chicory, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, peas, spinach, beans, mustard, cabbage, and arugula.