Siltac

Spider mites (Tetranychidae) belong to particularly troublesome pests of fruit plants. Their control is not easy and often causes many problems. Practical difficulties in effective control of spider mites result from a limited range of acaricides available on the market, rapid emergence of resistance to the applied chemicals, and the inability to use protection measures directly before harvest due to the concerns related to residues of active substances. Spider mites are characterized by a very fast rate of reproduction, which further complicates the possibilities of their effective control.

In view of the above problems, Siltac EC proves to be a very valuable tool to combat these troublesome arachnids.

Siltac EC is a completely novel approach to controlling herbivorous insects and mites. The product’s action is based on a purely physical mechanism consisting in the immobilization, or blocking the mechanical life functions of pests. This takes place due to specific polymers, mainly silicone contained in the product, which after application form an „incapacitating” structure on the spider mite’s body. Usually, after the application of the preparation, most pests die very quickly – within a few hours.

Siltac EC has a number of advantages that distinguish it from typical plant protection products. The major advantages include virtually no possibility of immunizing insects and mites to the effect of the preparation and the lack of typical chemical pesticides, and thus residues in the plant material. Siltac EC can be very useful or even a rescue for crops for which there is lack of typical insecticides/acaricides registered for pest control.

Scientific research and practice have clearly demonstrated its high spider mite-killing effectiveness, as well as very good effects on other pests, such as aphids and lecanium scale insects. If the treatment is performed well in a technical aspect, i.e. the liquid reaches all the places where the pests are feeding, the expected efficiency may even exceed 90%. This is not worse, and even better than the effectiveness of traditional chemical products. Such good results were obtained, for example, in fighting twospotted spider mites on blackcurrant, raspberry, strawberry or aphids on highbush blueberry.

Siltac EC, given its features described above, is a very valuable component of pest control programs especially in case of spider mites, pests which are particularly dangerous for berry plants and difficult to control with traditional methods.

In situations when the numbers of these pests are particularly high, very good results are achieved by using Siltac EC in a mixture or in rotation with traditional acaricides, for example based on abamectin. Practice confirmed the very high effectiveness of such treatments, even in conditions of extremely high pest risk.

Siltac EC application in berry plant cultivation.

The recommended concentration is 0.15% (150 mL of the product per 100 L of water). Due to the fact that Siltac acts only when applied directly to the pest’s body, note the following:

• do not use the product as preventive measures, but only when pests accumulation reaches the level which threatens plants,
• perform the treatment thoroughly, covering with the prepared liquid all places where the pests feed.

When using mixtures with standard acaricides, a sufficient concentration of Siltac EC is 0.1% (100 mL in 100 L water).