IHARA launches new insecticide ‘CHASER EW’ for tomatoes in Brazil

IHARA revealed to AgroPages its most recent release for tomato crops, the insecticide, CHASER EW (Tolfenpyrad).

The product offers a high-performance insecticide action and is capable of eliminating tomato moth (Tuta Absoluta) by contact and ingestion in a short period of time.

According to the manufacturer, the technology generates a fast power stoppage effect, eliminating targets within 72 hours.

It also has a repellent action, preventing pests from approaching the plant again.

According to IHARA, CHASER EW controls ″all stages of the pest, in addition to being a great tool for resistance management, and is highly effective with a long period of control, offering maximum crop protection and greater productivity and fruit quality.″

Marcos Vilhena, IHARA's Regional Marketing Manager, said that another significant difference of the launch is its combination of lizard and ovicide actions, preventing embryo development while the insect is still inside the egg.

″CHASER EW attacks the pests even before they develop, and this early control brings major benefits to the efficiency of management and farmers’ investment,″ he added.

Vilhena noted that the product also acts on the fertility of adults, resulting in reduced egg laying and viability levels.

CHASER EW also offers a long spectrum of action and a grace period of just three days, enabling the product to be applied very close to the harvest.

Another strong point of the developed formulation is its high retention on the plant surface, meaning that the product will remain on the plant for a longer period and has greater resistance to rain, therefore, extending the windows between applications.

In addition, the solution does not require the addition of an adjuvant, meaning more savings and higher sustainability for crop protection.

In Brazil, the average annual investment by farmers to combat pests in tomato crops is US$18 million, of which US$14 is allocated to combating caterpillars alone. This value corresponds to the capacity to treat 900,000 hectares.

However, it is important to note that only 40,000 hectares are used for tomato cultivation.

″This disparity in the percentages of investment per hectare treated reflects the number of applications needed to stop invaders. The CHASER EW technology revolutionizes this scenario, since the product has a prolonged residual action, which will be reflected in a smaller number of necessary applications in the producer's schedule,″ Vilhena said.

For example, in the 21/22 harvest, the national average was 20 applications to combat moths in each cycle, and in some Brazilian states, the average was 30 sprayings.

″It is a pest that occurs throughout the national territory and is difficult to control. Until now, the products available on the market did not offer such effectiveness, demanding a high number of applications for their effect to extend throughout all pest cycles. CHASER offers an innovative technology and high performance to revolutionize this management,″ Vilhena added.

CHASER EW is a technology that is already part of IHARA's portfolio, with excellent results already proven in the fight against pests in cotton, oats, wheat and other crops.

Among the product's main targets, the cotton boll weevil, cotton aphid and spider mite stand out.

With the reformulation, the product has also gained approval to be used effectively on tomato crops.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)