Product news: Emergency authorisation boost for virus yellows protection

BBRO head of science Dr Mark Stevens says use should be driven by awareness of aphids in crops and treatment thresholds.

“We have doubled the yellow water pan network this year to provide growers with advance warning. There are 60 evenly distributed throughout the four factory areas and catches will feed into an interactive map where sugar beet growers can view their three closest water pans simply by entering the farm postcode.”

Dr Stevens adds that as soon as the map shows winged aphids being caught in the locality it is time to monitor crops.

Dr Stevens urges growers to move quickly to control aphids at threshold: “If you are two days short of a herbicide timing, do not wait for the opportunity to tank-mix. Get the insecticide on immediately. We do not want secondary spread of virus within the crop, especially at early growth stages when virus yellows’ impact on yield is at its greatest.”