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New Neem Insecticide contributes to sustainable horticultural industry

Azatin is a new Neem Insecticide for the management of thrips in covered cultivation of ornamental plants. Breeder Schreurs tried it in the cultivation of gerbera plants and roses. Grower Theo Houdijk is enthusiastic about the results: "It works and it's gentle on the crop, even at high doses."

Azatin is a liquid formulation (EC) with the active ingredient azadirachtin (26 g / l), which is isolated from neem seed. The active substance is already known from a similar product, but the concentration and formulation varies. It seems to be gentler to the crop which can make the difference for susceptible cultivars.

"It is primarily a repellent, which makes the plant less attractive to thrips and other pests. Azadirachtin is also an insect growth regulator which acts on all stages of thrips. The active substance diffuses into the leaf. Adult thrips, eggs, larvae and pupae that are in direct contact with Azatin or through digesting the plant juices, do not develop further and no longer reproduce.
The active ingredient has a side effect against leaf miner, whiteflies, aphids, beetles and caterpillars, but has little influence on biological control agents. It fits in well in integrated crop management and is permitted in organic farming."


“The new biological insect growth regulator does not harm gerberas,” said Pieter Bos here with Lianne van Wijk.

Welcome addition
Azatin is a welcome addition to the range of products for pest control thanks to its green nature, broad scope and softness for crop and biology. It will not get a complete control of thrips, but it has a clear impact on the population. It is a preventive agent especially, which helps to keep the thrips pressure low. Repetitive spraying enhances the effect due to the gradually increasing concentration of the active substance in the crop. The accumulation of the drug in the plant does not cause damage to flower or leaf.


Azatin worked very satisfactorily in the cultivation of roses.

Plant nursery
This is not to say that the drug is given a permanent place in the control scheme. The cultivation of raw material can not be compared with cultivation. For now, we will only apply chemicals, because of the zero tolerance we use for delivery. This makes it difficult for non-chemical products, they rarely work 100%. Grower Oudijk can imagine that Azatin will geta place in the crop production.

Avoid resistance
Still, we see that the horticultural supply chain aims for less chemicals and more use of green resources. Not only to produce cleaner, but also not to be totally dependent on chemicals. The number of authorized products is limited. Alternating with green resources helps to avoid resistance development in thrips and maintains the effectiveness of the chemicals. It is positive that Azatin contains a little oil, which provides a clear plus in thrips control, but can therefore not be combined with everything. Azatin can easily be mixed in the tank with Winner and BotaniGarden and that goes certainly for more insecticides.

Building trust
Bos and Houdijk keep testing the biological insecticide on a small-scale for year-round cultivation and to let customers gain confidence in this product. "It can only promote discussion of alternative control strategies," said Bos. "which is due to take place, because the demand for growing more sustainably will remain.

Source: Nieuwsmagazine Certis Europe, oktober 2015
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