Recent reports of control failures for silverleaf whitefly and resistance to spirotetramat (Group 23) in some green peach aphid populations in Queensland have many growers on the lookout for different rotation options.
Syngenta technical manager Rob Vitelli said for sometime there have been issues controlling green peach aphid using some older chemistry like synthetic pyrethroids, carbamates, organophosphates and neonicotinoids.
“Syngenta’s CHESS insecticide has been around since 2001 but remains a great option in insecticide rotations for control of aphids and suppression of whitefly,” Rob says.
In a trial completed in 2023, CHESS insecticide (Group 9B) recorded excellent control of green peach aphid (GPA) in capsicums in the Granite Belt, Queensland.
“A single application of CHESS recorded 90 per cent control of GPA,” he says.
“Two applications seven days apart, recorded 94 per cent control of GPA.
“The pest pressure in the trial was high too, increasing from 20 to around 80 aphids per leaf in the untreated control.”
Excellent results were also recorded with CHESS in a silverleaf whitefly (SLW) trial in gourmet tomatoes earlier this year in Bundaberg, Queensland.
“In the Bundaberg trial we saw 65 per cent suppression of SLW nymphs with CHESS at the final assessment, that was 20 per cent better than a Group 23 insecticide in the same trial,” Rob explains.
“We know CHESS doesn’t have activity on later instar stages of SLW, but this trial demonstrated if you get your application timing right and target SLW adults when they come into the crop you can reduce adult numbers which then reduces egg lay and nymph numbers over time.”
Rob said monitoring is key to getting application timing right for CHESS.
Growers need to follow local thresholds and apply just as insect populations are beginning to establish.
“Good coverage is also very important and to get the best out of the product avoid applications in the heat of the day,” he adds.
“It’s also important to continue with your monitoring and reapply if required no less than seven days later.”
Rob says CHESS has a really good IPM fit, making it a valuable tool to be applied earlier in the crop to allow beneficial insects to establish.
CHESS insecticide works by contact and ingestion and studies have shown that feeding by insect pests ceases within one hour.
It has translaminar activity and can reach both sides of the leaf. CHESS is a wettable granule (WG) formulation and is easy to handle and store.
It is registered in all key brassica and fruiting vegetable crops as well as lettuce, leafy vegetables, cucurbits, potatoes, sweet corn, celery, stone fruit, beetroot, almonds, pistachios, cut flowers, fruit trees (non-bearing) and nursery stock (non-food).
“With a unique 9B mode of action, CHESS really complements other chemistries and takes the pressure off products such as MINECTO Forte insecticide used for control of aphids, whiteflies and lepidopteran pests,.
“CHESS insecticide is robust and versatile choice in an environment where growers increasingly need as many rotation options as possible.”
