Grochem Australia has made an impressive start to the year by taking over the distribution of a suite of products from Sumitomo and adding four new ones to its expanding portfolio.
Originally developed by Grochem, the plant growth regulators and associated adjuvants have been in Sumitomo’s hands for the past 15 years.
However, Grochem Australia has taken them over as it strengthens its role in the pome and stone fruit markets and complements its range of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides.
Ben Coombe, general manager of Grochem Australia, thanked the Sumitomo team for developing and managing these products over the past 15 years.
“At the same time, we are excited to add these products to our range and continue to support and develop them for the Australian market,” he says.
This latest development is good news for dealers and growers in pome, stone and kiwifruit, with well-known PGRs such as Ambitious, BAPSol, Cyan, Pomade and Thin-it returning to the Grochem stable.
They play a key role throughout the growing season for flower and fruit thinning and fruit sizing, which are essential to producing high quality, well sized apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, cherries and kiwifruit for local and export markets.
Ambitious 10SL (forchlorfenuron) is a highly active PGR for sizing kiwifruit and apples, while Cyan (cyanamide) regulates bud burst in apples, grapes and kiwifruit.
For fruit thinning and boosting fruit size in apples, BAPSol 100 (6-benzyladenine) is the first choice for growers.
In other developments, dealers servicing rice growers are pleased with the news the AVPMA has issued a permit for the emergency use of Efface 250EC (niclosamide) for the control of aquatic rice snails in rice.
Mr Coombe says the permitted use follows a collaborative effort by AgriFutures Australia and Grochem Australia to provide an effective control mechanism for aquatic snails which have been a nasty pest in recent years.
“The permit runs until February 2025 and enables growers and aerial operators to use Efface 250EC under strict conditions,” he says.
In other news for rice growers and their Dealers, Grochem has also added Nasi 800 herbicide to manage barnyard grass and annual sedges such as dirty Dora.
Nasi 800 is A Group J herbicide based on the active ingredient, thiobencarb.
It is suitable for application in dry soil, for split applications pre- and post-sowing in aerial sown rice varieties.
New additions
Along with Efface 250EC and Nasi 800 herbicide in rice, Grochem is continuing to strengthen its portfolio with two new additions - SpinoSec 240 SC insecticide and Talk miticide.
Derived from a naturally occurring micro-organism, SpinoSec (spinosad) has a unique mode of action with low toxicity to mammals, birds, fish, crustaceans and many predatory insects.
“This makes SpinoSec ideal for IPM and conventional insect control programs where growers are looking for softer chemistry or a way to manage insects that are resistant to conventional insecticides,” Mr Coombe says.
“Even better, it is registered for insect control in a wide range of fruit and vegetable crops, as well as ornamentals and forestry.”
When it comes to mite control in tree crops such as pome and stone fruit, citrus and avocados, bananas, strawberries, hops and ornamentals, Grochem is now offering Talk miticide, a Group 12B insecticide based on fenbutatin oxide.
Talk is a useful partner in orchards where biological control is being practised, to help in managing twospotted mite and European red mite.
While dealers need to take care when recommending Talk because of resistance management needs, Mr Coombe reassured them that growers can achieve moderate levels of control by applying the miticide well before a dense infestation occurs.
“Dealers and growers know only too well that is essential to act quickly at the first sign of mite activity and be ready to repeat the application, subject to resistance management,” he says.
