TRIMAX PRO Rate Increase Brings Longer, Better Insect Control - Insecticide a ‘top choice’ for piercing/sucking pests

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a higher label rate for TRIMAX® PRO Insecticide, giving cotton growers an improved option for controlling plant bugs, stink bugs, aphids and other damaging piercing/sucking insects.

“TRIMAX PRO has made two giant leaps forward in 2006,” said Jon Mixson, Bayer CropScience product manager. “First, we developed a new formulation that gives applicators improved mixing and handling properties. Now, with the rate increase, growers benefit with quicker knockdown, better overall pest efficacy and longer residual. 

Growers still have the option of using the previously labeled rates of 0.9 oz and 1.35 oz/A. With a new EPA-approved rate of 1.8 oz/A, growers with higher piercing/sucking insect populations – especially high aphid infestations – have a third option.

Initial pest efficacy and residual power are both important when growers consider their insecticide options. James Wells, a cotton grower near Madison, Ala., said he tried TRIMAX PRO – which is a neonicotinoid – after generic pyrethroid use led to unsatisfactory control of aphids and plant bugs.

“I expected five to seven days of control with the pyrethroid I used,” he said. “I decided to put on some TRIMAX PRO and started getting longer control. The pyrethroid was less expensive, but not really if you consider I was spraying three times every three weeks.”

Last year, consultants and university Extension specialists conducted 35 large-plot field trials testing the efficacy of TRIMAX PRO. Mixson said the in-field experience will help those individuals make more accurate recommendations.

Mixson said participants saw increased residual activity in TRIMAX PRO. He noted the new formulation helps the active ingredient remain at the site of insect feeding. The active ingredient is also absorbed into cotton leaves and migrates to the lower leaf surface, providing improved control of aphids and other insects that feed on the underside of cotton leaves.

After the success of the large-plot field trials last season, Mixson said growers should try TRIMAX PRO so they can see the consistent results firsthand.

“With TRIMAX PRO, we’ve added innovative features to make a good product even better,” Mixson said. “The product is more convenient for applicators and should be considered a top choice for growers who are up against piercing and sucking insects.”

Bayer CropScience LP is the U.S. business of Bayer CropScience, which has its global headquarters in Monheim, Germany. Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of about EUR 6 billion, is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of about 19,000 and is represented in more than 120 countries, ensuring proximity to dealers and consumers.