Sweet but lethal

SucraShield, a new pesticide made from natural sugars and food-grade fatty acids, is labeled for control of soft-bodied insects and mites on many vegetable, fruit, and ornamental crops. The insecticide (sucros octanoate ester), which was developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists, mimics the natural insect control compounds found in the tobacco plant. It works by suffocating the insect or by penetrating its outer covering, which makes the pest dry out. Pests are not expected to develop resistance to the product. For more information, call (704) 689-1393 or e-mail devlinr@naturalforcesllc.com.

Peach fungicide

Chemtura Corporation has been appointed exclusive distributor for Thiram Granuflo in the United States. ­Thiram Granuflo is a broad-spectrum fungicide for control of diseases of peaches and strawberries. On peaches, it can be applied from bloom through postharvest to control brown rot blossom blight and fruit rot, peach leaf curl, rhizopus rot, and peach scab. The product is manufactured by Taminco, Inc.

Zeal labeled for cherries

Valent USA Corporation has received registration for its Zeal (etoxazole) miticide for use on sweet and tart cherries in all states except California and New York. It was already registered for use on a number of crops, including apples and pears. The product has translaminar movement, allowing it to move through the leaves and control where the mites feed, according to information from Valent.

Inspire

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted federal registration of a new fungicide from Syngenta Crop Protection called Inspire Super MP, for use on pome fruits against scab, rust, powdery mildew, sooty blotch, and fly speck. This follows the recent registration of Inspire (difenoconazole), according to a press release from Syngenta. For the 2008 season, Inspire Super MP will be sold in a combined package of Inspire Super MP and Vangard (cyprodinil).

CA Tool

HarvestWatch is a sensor and software system designed for monitoring fruits and vegetables in long-term storage. It was developed by a research team at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Center in Kentville, Nova Scotia, and is manufactured by Satlantic, Inc., of ­Halifax, Nova Scotia.

HarvestWatch contains a suite of lights, sensors, and data analysis software, which is installed in the CA storage room. HarvestWatch determines optimal oxygen levels, enabling storage operators to minimize deterioration of fruit.

For information, check the Web site at www.harvestwatch.com.