Pedestal Registered in New York

Pedestal, insect growth regulator from Crompton Corporation, Specialty Products Group, has been approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for control of foliar feeding and sucking insects on a wide range of container-grown ornamental plants in greenhouses, shadehouses and outdoor nurseries.

Pedestal is labeled for use on the following target pests: thrips, including flower thrips, gladiolus thrips, citrus thrips and Western flower thrips; Whiteflies, including greenhouse whitefly, silverleaf whitefly and sweet potato whitefly; armyworms, including beet armyworm, fall armyworm, lawn armyworm, southern armyworm and yellow striped armyworm.Pedestal also provides suppression of serpentine and citrus leafminers.

“Thrips are one of the most common and widespread insect pests of ornamental plants throughout the world, and the Western flower thrip, Frankliniella occidentalis, may now be the major insect pest of greenhouse-grown ornamental crops in the United States,” says Kevin Donovan, technical manager, Crompton Corporation.

“Research throughout the U.S. has shown Pedestal to be highly effective in controlling the Western flower thrip. That should make it a welcome addition to growers’ insect management programs,” suggests Donovan.

“The EPA registered Pedestal as a ‘reduced risk’ pesticide. Reduced risk status was granted because of its excellent human health effects profile, low use rates and selectivity, making it an ideal fit for use with a variety of IPM strategies,” says Laurie Treu, vice president, Crompton Corporation. “When used properly in rotation with other materials, Pedestal will be a very good tool to help prevent the development of resistance.”

Pedestal does not attack the nervous system of insects like most conventional insecticides, according to Crompton. Instead, it works by interfering with the insect’s ability to form chitin, the structural material of the insect’s exoskeleton, thereby disrupting the normal molting process. As a result, users can expect Pedestal to act somewhat slower than conventional insecticides. As an insect growth regulator, Pedestal is effective only against the immature stages of target insects and will not kill adults.

Although Pedestal does not have direct ovicidal activity, a significant percentage of mortality will occur among first instar larvae/nymphs that hatch from eggs laid on treated foliage. Also, research indicates that Pedestal reduces fecundity, or fertility, in some adult insects.

Pedestal can be applied to virtually all-ornamental plants, according to Crompton. The one exception is poinsettias, which have shown sensitivity at label rates.

Pedestal contains the active ingredient novaluron and belongs to the IGR chemical class known as benzoylphenyl ureas. The foliar-applied insect growth regulator is an SC (suspension concentrate) formulation in easy-to-use quart containers.

Pedestal has a 12-hour restricted entry interval. Because of its reduced-risk registration, Pedestal can be mixed and applied with minimal personal protective equipment (PPE); i.e., long-sleeved shirt and long pants, shoes with socks and chemical resistant gloves.The Pedestal label carries the user-friendly CAUTION signal word.

For more information, contact Crompton Corporation at (800) 336-9312 or visit www.cromptoncorp.com/crop.