Amblyseius cucumeris predators in vermiculite. Used in many crops as a key treatment for Western Flower Thrips, it is available as a hand held Shaker Tube System at different concentrations or as a 5-litre re-sealable bulk bag for use with motorised knapsack blowers. This new formulation is the result of a new breeding system resulting in a pure vermiculite product, replacing the original bran formulations.

Because Amblyseius cucumeris is small, it feeds only on the smallest thrips larvae, and cannot attack large larvae or adults. The predators disperse quickly over the crop hunting for thrip larvae. It is also a recognised treatment for Tarsonemid mites in strawberry crops. Do not use at temperatures that remain below 10°C for long periods, or in very dry areas. For heavy populations or where there is the risk of virus transmission by thrips, use a clean up spray with short-lived surface residues, eg VERTIMEC^®, DYMAMEC^® (crop registration restrictions apply) before releasing Amblyseius cucumeris. Follow up with Orius sp or use with Hypoaspis soil treatments. Consult your Syngenta Bioline representative for advice.

Instructions for use

50-100 Amblyseius cucumeris/m², and repeat weekly or fortnightly for thrips control.
Sprinkle onto the crop where required to achieve uniform cover of the area.
For control of Tarsonemid mites on strawberries, apply rates of up to 400/m² onto damaged plants, and for 2 more metres around the centre of infestation. Apply at a lower rate of 50/m² for a further 2 or 3 metres, then at a rate of 20/m² over the rest of the crop. Suitable for most greenhouse crops, particularly dense row crops.

Storage and transport

Keep out of direct sunlight. Transport and store at 10-15°C. Use within 18 hours of receipt. WARNING: contains mites, handle carefully using a respiratory dust mask and gloves.

Further information

Syngenta Bioline Ltd
Telstar Nursery, Holland Road
Little Clacton, Essex CO16 9QG, England
Tel +44 (0) 1255 863 200
Fax +44 (0) 1255 863 206

sales@syngentabioline.com

Additional recommendations for application of loose Amblyseius cucumeris products using air-blast application equipment.

Economies can be made in product and labour costs by applying loose Amblyseius cucumeris products from the standard air-blast equipment. However, the equipment must be modified to do this, we recommend the following:
Only use a clean sprayer, which is reserved for this task and is not used for chemicals.

• Use reinforced plastic irrigation piping joints taps and connectors to design a nozzle as shown in the picture below.

  

• Putting the product into the sprayer hopper will result in unacceptable mortality of mites during application.
• The mites should be delivered into the air-stream very close to the end of the tube at a 45° angle to avoid return of air into the hopper and to minimise air-blast damage to mites.
• Petrol machines are easier to use than electric because of the cable management problems
• Back-mounted machines are more convenient than hand held blowers
• Calibrate the air-blast sprayer using pure vermiculite or vermiculite/bran mix.
  • The speed of the engine can be adjusted to give the required spray width
  • The aperture is kept fully open. Dose is adjusted by varying walking speed.
• The loose Amblyline cu/flo is filled into the bucket hopper from the 5 litre bag. Make marks on the bucket to monitor the volume used.
• Walk backwards along the row directing spray away from yourself to avoid dust contact.
• Apply onto a dry crop, and postpone overhead irrigation activities for half a day

Choosing the right product to use:

Amblyseius cucumeris can be applied to crops as loose product to the foliage or as slow release sachets. The choice of product may depend on a number of factors and will depend on the needs of each grower and each crop.

0011-01 Amblyline cu CRS: 200 x 1,000 mites/sachet

These sachets give 6 weeks of release of predatory mites onto the crop, but will require some time to be placed in the crop. They are ideal for row crops with relatively long cycles and give the best control results against thrips.

0011-19 Amblyline cu: 50,000 mites in pure vermiculite, 1 litre shaker bottle

The loose product is suitable for hand application on smaller areas where plants are easily accessible or where placement of the product is important for control. It is ideal for short cycle crops, where mites need to be placed immediately on foliage. The more diluted products help growers to regulate the dose more easily.

0011-17 Amblyline flo: 250,000 mites in pure vermiculite, 5 litre resealable bag

The loose product gives instant release of a large number of mites over a large area. It is ideal for short cycle crops. Using an airblast sprayer, application time is reduced to 1 hour, saving labour costs. The bulk product is supplied in a 5 litre re-sealable bag and is more economical than five 1 litre bottles. In addition the bag is easily disposed of. This product is ideal for large areas of bedding or pot plants, which have difficult access (wide beds) and is also used in crops with frequent overhead irrigation. The pure vermiculite formulation has reduced the Tyrophagous prey mite content, and the absence of bran is considered an advantage by some growers to avoid the risks of foliar disease. Whilst application time is much reduced for air-blast products, the treatment may have to be repeated at weekly intervals to sustain control. For this reason the sachets may be preferred for long term control programmes.