Syngenta announces WeevilTrak updates for 2020 in the US

For the 2020 annual bluegrass weevil (ABW) season, Syngenta is continuing its work with independent researchers to provide golf course superintendents with tools for monitoring and control through its annual WeevilTrak^SM program.

“This is a challenging time golf courses across the country. Syngenta is committed to helping our customers manage ABW on their courses,” said Stephanie Schwenke, turf market manager for Syngenta. “We continue to work with researchers on monitoring sites responsibly and safely. As some of the courses have already started progressing through stages, following the WeevilTak blogs will become more important than ever as the researchers give updates on their experiences and what they are seeing at their courses.”

NEW for 2020: Ference^® insecticide is now approved to control ABW on golf course turf in Kings, Queens and Suffolk counties in New York under a Section 24(c) Special Local Need label. Golf course superintendents on Long Island must make applications in accordance with the Special Local Need Label and must have a printed copy of the Section 24(c) label in their possession at the time of application.

Syngenta has also added new courses that will serve as ABW research stations, including:

- Hendersonville Country Club in Hendersonville, North Carolina
- York Golf and Tennis Club in York, Maine
- Elk River Club in Banner Elk, North Carolina
- Old Westbury Golf and Country Club in Old Westbury, New York

“As the managing consultant of WeevilTrak, I am working with other scientists to try and predict the optimal timing for applications targeting annual bluegrass weevils,” said Steve McDonald, owner, Turfgrass Disease Solutions. “We know time will be precious for the foreseeable future with limited staffs and minimal inputs. We understand these concerns and will try to be concise and informative with our communications.”

Other tools available for 2020 include:

- The Syngenta Optimum Control Strategy outlining a proven ABW treatment protocol that can help manage resistance as ABW control applications are planned
(94% of surveyed¹ WeevilTrak users said resistance management is an important consideration as they choose what to spray)
- WeevilTrak text alerts, which provide timely updates on local ABW progression
- The WeevilTrak blog, updated by 11 industry-leading ABW researchers and featuring 189 blog posts from the past five seasons
- Secondary course monitoring for additional localized stage-progression information
- A growing degree day model designed specifically for ABW

WeevilTrak continues to be a trusted resource for superintendents who battle this insect each year. Results from the latest survey of WeevilTrak subscribers¹ showed that:
- 98% of users found WeevilTrak email alerts valuable
- 88% of users said WeevilTrak was their top tool for monitoring ABW followed by plant phenology and soap flushes

¹Survey distributed by Syngenta to WeevilTrak subscribers in December 2019 with 251 total responses.