Keep watch for OWBM threat

UK - May 15, 2009

Monitoring of high risk sites by ADAS for Dow AgroSciences over the next couple of weeks will give the first indication of orange wheat blossom midge (OWBM) threat. During the monitoring period Dow AgroSciences will be issuing regular Pestwatch reports which are designed to help predict when adults will emerge so growers can then monitor their own fields and spray when thresholds are reached.

“It is too early to predict how serious a threat the midge poses this year,” says Dow AgroSciences technical expert David Roberts, “but early warning from ADAS and Dow AgroSciences will enable growers to carry out a thorough risk assessment on their own farms to ensure fields are sprayed at the right time if needed. Growers should prioritise fields with high quality varieties where yields, quality and profitability are most at risk.

“When thresholds reveal it is time to treat, products containing chlorpyrifos, such as Dursban WG* offer the widest window of application controlling adults, eggs and hatching larvae.”

Growers can log on to www.dowagro.com/uk and go to the Pestwatch pages for the latest updates and the OWBM pages for further information, including Risk Assessment charts that can be downloaded.