Watch out, insects, there’s a new mode of action in
town. BASF has received the U.S. EPA registration for Inscalis®, a new
insecticide that controls piercing-sucking insect pests in a variety of row and
specialty crops, including soybeans, cotton and citrus.
According to the Insecticide Resistance Action
Committee, insecticide resistance has added $40 million to the total
insecticide bill for farmers in the form of additional and alternative applications. Inscalis
insecticide meets farmers’ demands for new tools to control insects in their
fields.
The novel mode-of-action insecticide is geared toward
quickly and efficiently controlling insect pests such as aphids, whiteflies and
certain psyllids. Inscalis is an active ingredient that controls
piercing/sucking pests in specific specialty and row crops by targeting
chordotonal organs in antennae and joints, BASF reports. This mode of action
rapidly stops pests from feeding, thereby reducing transmission of diseases
vectored by the insects, the company says.
John Sabatka, a strategic account manager at BASF, says
aerial applicators will play a key role in applying BASF’s new insecticide
products across broad acres. Inscalis products, including BASF’s Sefina™
and Versys™ insecticides, are labeled for aerial use.
The chemistry’s unique formulation works by moving
through the leaf to control pests that may be living on the underside of
leaves. Inscalis insecticide’s fast onset of action causes insect feeding to
quickly stop, limiting the spread of damage and transmission of viral
pathogens. BASF also notes that Inscalis insecticide boasts a favorable
environmental profile with low toxicity to beneficial insects, including
pollinators. It also has a caution signal word on the label.
The Inscalis active ingredient was discovered by the
Japanese company Meiji Seika Pharma Co. Ltd. and the Kitasato Institute—specifically
Satoshi Omura, who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015—and
co-developed with Meiji. The active ingredient will power Versys™ insecticide,
Sefina™ insecticide and Ventigra™ insecticide.
Versys insecticide is labeled for use on brassica,
leafy vegetables, pome and stone fruit, and will target aphids and whiteflies.
Sefina insecticide, labeled for use on citrus, cotton, cucurbits, fruiting
vegetables and soybeans, targets the Asian citrus psyllid, aphids and
whiteflies. Ventigra insecticide is for use in greenhouse and nursery
production, and ornamental landscapes.
