BIOPEST

Product Overview
BIOPEST is a highly refined food-grade iso-paraffinic oil formulation designed for use as a fungicide, insecticide, to manage certain aphid-transmitted viruses and as a premium carrier/adjuvant. With an unmatched level of purity BIOPEST represents the most advanced attempt yet to provide growers with an IPM product capable of controlling multiple, unrelated pests and fungal diseases simultaneously.

An Essential Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Solution
BIOPEST is an essential IPM solution that offers the following features:

• Proven effectiveness in pest control.
• Simultaneous control of a number of pests and diseases.
• No pest resistance.
• Ability to modify pest behaviour.
• Minimal impact on beneficial insects.
• Not persistent in the environment.
• Low toxicity to animals & grower.
• Safe to handle.
• Won't stimulate pest outbreaks.

BIOPEST's Role In IPM Programs
BIOPEST is a valuable tool in the practice of IPM & there exists "significant new potential for using petroleum spray oils in horticulture & broadacre agriculture" (Beattie et al, 2000).

This potential is well recognised & research commitments are being made on the strength of this potential by commercial groups such as SACOA & leading research institutions such as the University of Western Sydney (UWS).

BIOPEST, as an advanced biorational pesticide and adjuvant, is a uniquely safe and effective IPM solution due to:

Uniquely Safe

• A 98%+ pure formulation.
• Produced from medicinal and food grade base oil.
• Biodegradable.
• Safe to handle.
• No toxic potential.
• 24hour pre-harvest interval.
• Minimal impact on beneficial insects.

Uniquely Effective

• Unique formulation.
• High paraffinic content (75%).
• Proven control of a range of fungal diseases and pests.
• Maximises plant coverage and rainfastness
• Shown to assist UV-sensitive chemistry.
• Stable emulsion.
• No pest resistance will develop.
• Ability to modify pest behaviour.
• Won't stimulate pest outbreaks.
• Proven performance in other commercial crops such as citrus and cotton.

Using BIOPEST Effectively In IPM Programs
In a nutshell this should generally involve:

Product Registration
The following table outlines the registered applications for BIOPEST. Extensive work is being conducted extending these claims with a focus on cotton and tree crop pests.

Chemical Compatibilities
BIOPEST is a versatile product. Further detail on chemical compatibilities is available under specific crops. Always refer to specific product labels prior to mixing to confirm compatibility.

Tank Mixing
It is important to ensure safety and compatibility when mixing spray products.

A Caution on Multiple Tank Mixes
Tank mixes involving multiple chemicals should be avoided where possible due to the difficulty in calculating their combined effect on pests, plant, soil and the environment.

Crop Safety
Refer to specific crop sections for advice on crop safety.

Spray Timing Guide
Guides to assist the timing of BIOPEST sprays for the management of citrus and olive pests are available.

• Citrus Spray Timing Guide PDF 50Kb
• Olive Spray Timing Guide PDF 18Kb

NOTE
You will need the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader to view these documents.
Click Here

to download a free copy.

Timings Will Vary
These charts provide suggested approaches to IPM program timings.
The timings of insect activity noted are a guide only, as activity can vary with different seasons.

In general, activity commences earlier the further north the planting. Hence regular monitoring of orchards is essential.

Understanding the Quality of New Technology Spray Oils 
The quality of a spray oil is critical and will define two things:

• How effective it will work in assisting in the control of pests and diseases.
• How safe it will be to the plant and fruit.

There is a lot of difference between available spray oils, with a number of factors influencing product quality. These in turn influence spray efficacy and plant safety. Understanding these details allows you to choose and use the right oil for your situation.

Click here to read more about how spray oils differ in quality and how to choose the right one.

BIOPEST's Quality
BIOPEST is a revolution in spray oil quality. Produced from a medicinal and food-grade iso-paraffinic oil BIOPEST's clarity is a clear sign of its quality and purity. The next time you open a drum of oil, check its clarity.

Is it 'water clear'?

The Trade-off Between Efficacy and Plant Safety
The general rule with mineral spray oils has been that heavier oils provide greater efficacy but carry an often unacceptable risk of plant damage, reduced fruit size and fruit spotting. That is, until now.

BIOPEST is an optimal weight oil that breaks this rule. How?

SUMMER

Product Overview
SACOA SUMMER Insecticidal Spray Oil (SUMMER) is classified as a horticultural mineral oil (HMO). HMO’s are an integral component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

HMO’s are considered ‘soft’ pesticides since they are generally specific to particular life stages of certain pests and also because they are not persistent in the environment.

With increasing pressure to reduce the use of chemicals in the environment, spray oils are expected to become a greater influence on the market.

The use of HMO’s as pesticides to control pests and diseases on many horticultural crops in IPM programs for sustainable long-term control is an area SACOA is committed to.

Product Advantages

• Excellent emulsion stability under a range of water qualities and water rates.
• Assists insecticide penetration, effectively modifying the epicuticular wax (lipid) surface of the pest to facilitate the passage of the pesticide more efficiently.
• Reduces evaporation of spray solution before and after reaching the target surface.
• Reduces the surface tension of the spray droplet, there by aiding coverage.
• Produces a more uniform droplet reducing the very small and large droplets, alleviating the splash factor.
• Extensive field experiments conducted in Australia indicate that SUMMER significantly improves the performance of foliar applied pesticides.
• SUMMER may also be used to achieve similar benefits with certain other plant protection chemicals like miticides and fungicides.

Product Applications
The following outlines common applications for SUMMER.

Compatibilities

SUMMER may also be used with the following horticultural crop protection products:

Crop Safety

• Do NOT apply pesticides, or other chemicals, incompatible with oil within 4 weeks before or after application of Benlate® as crop damage may occur.
• Do NOT apply an oil if temperatures are expected to exceed 32°C within 24 hours of application.
• Do NOT use on Glen Retreat variety of mandarins.
• Do NOT apply an oil if trees are water stressed.
• Do NOT apply Benlate® with SUMMER on Pome Fruit when temperatures exceed 28°C or after mid-November, or first cover spray.

Bananas
There are certain conditions when the surface of recently emerged fruit is particularly prone to marking damage from spray applications of mancozeb.

In circumstances where application has been made to very rapidly growing fruit in hot conditions with strong direct sun light, it is recommended that all emerged bunches be bagged prior to spraying to minimise risk of fruit marking.

Sulphur-based Compounds
SUMMER is NOT compatible with wettable sulphur or compounds containing sulphur such as lime sulphur.

STIFLE

SACOA’s STIFLE Dormant Spray Oil (STIFLE) is an emulsifiable, highly refined, agricultural spray formulated to control a variety of pests and diseases during the winter dormant period up until budburst / green tip stage.

It is a highly effective controller for a variety of pests including mites, thrips, scales and other pests on stone and pome fruit trees, grape vines and nut tree’s such as almonds and pecans.

STIFLE is formulated with an emulsifier which has been selected to provide effective retention on tree branches.

At the same time, it allows a fast separation of the oil from the water when applied to the trees in a fine, even, atomised spray. This then penetrates into cracks and crevices where mites and scale lay during winter.

It also ensures that a high proportion of the oil is retained on the tree. As a result, oil loss due to dripping is minimal.

Recent Australian research has shown that correct timing of spray oils applications can greatly reduce future requirements for follow up insecticide and miticide sprays.

In turn this reduces the possible contact that the applicator may have with highly toxic chemicals.

Crop Safety

Mineral based spray oils are not compatible with sulphur-based products and should not be used within 4 weeks of a sulphur spray application as crop damage may occur.

Spray Tank Cleanup

Always follow instructions on the herbicide label for decontamination of spray equipment.

For STIFLE wash out with soapy water, or 1% solution of ammonia followed by several rinses of fresh water.

Product Use

STIFLE readily mixes with emulsifiable concentrates, dry flowable and wettable granule formulation pesticides.

It doesn't contain any ingredients that may cause nozzle or spray equipment blockages, so equipment can be cleaned after use by simply rinsing with water (refer to the tank cleanup section on product label for complete details).

When combination sprays are to be prepared, the normal concentration of the insecticide or fungicide should be mixed first as per the chemicals ‘Table for Use’ and the oil added as the last ingredient.

Mixing order for combination sprays:

1. Half fill spray tank with water.
2. Add water conditioner, if necessary.
3. Under constant agitation, add pesticide or fungicide at label recommended rate.
4. Continue to fill remainder of tank with water.
5. Finally adding required amount of STIFLE while still agitating solution.

Mixing order for oil-water sprays:

1. Half fill spray tank with water.
2. Add required amount of STIFLE to tank while constantly agitating.
3. Continue to fill remainder of tank with water.

Further points on correct product use:

• It is important always to add the oil to the water, never in the reverse order.
• Only clean spray tanks should be used.
• STIFLE is a pour in type product and doesn’t need to be pre-emulsified.