By Clint Thompson
One of the worst pests of specialty crops in the Southeast has met its match with a new product from Certis Biologicals. It recently announced the launch of MeloCon® LC, which helps control plant-parasitic nematodes, says Karla Medina, Certis Regional Field Development Manager.
“Nematodes are one of the worst hidden enemies that you don’t see on the top of the plant. They’re very difficult to diagnose unless you’re taking soil samples. This product is really targeting those nematodes that will affect yield and will affect the quality of your crop,” Medina said. “The good thing about this product is that we have a new formulation. It’s a liquid formulation. That has a lot of flexibility, and it has a lot of convenience for the grower to treat for nematodes.”
MeloCon® LC attacks only plant parasitic nematodes, which includes root-knot nematodes, a destructive nematode pest in the Southeast. It is effective for producers of vegetables and tree fruits, especially those with sweet potatoes. It is also registered in all states except for California.
“It also attacks different stages of the plant parasitic nematodes. It will go for the eggs and also go for the juveniles and some of the adults as well,” Medina said. “It doesn’t have any restrictions of applications, too. You can apply it at planting. You can apply it in season. You can also apply it at the end of the harvest, the end of the season which is usually when the peak numbers of nematodes are increasing or at their highest.”
It is an important development for growers who rely mainly on fumigation for nematode control, especially after methyl bromide was phased out of use in 2005.
“With the phasing out of methyl bromide, there’s been a lot of pressure in agriculture in terms of options for controlling nematodes.There’s been a lot of pressure from regulatory bodies, and a lot of the older chemistries that were used against nematodes are very toxic for the environment,” Medina said. “Looking for alternatives, MeloCon® LC is a friendly formulation. It’s a beneficial soil-dwelling fungus that attacks plant-parasitic nematodes. It has a very different mode of action. But it’s one of those tools that can be used in an integrated nematode management program.”