Aphids in strawberry: chemical control

Read this page to learn about your chemical control options for aphids on strawberry.

Back to: Control methods for aphids on strawberry

Chemical control products

Strawberry growers and their agronomists continually strive to reduce the use of chemical control products, not only to reduce the risk of incurring chemical residues, but also to avoid the adverse effects that some products have on natural and biological control programmes already being implemented in the crop. To this end, they do all they can to employ cultural, natural or biological control methods before using chemical control products.

However, there are times in the season when a combination of pest pressure, weather conditions and use of products for other pests and diseases conspire to enforce the use of a chemical product for aphid control. When choosing such a product, it is essential to consider the impact it may have on existing biological or natural control programmes that are already in place and whether its use will be compatible with IPDM programmes. The table below lists those products that are currently approved for use on strawberry (October 2020) and provide control of aphids or will give some incidental control when applied for other pests of strawberry.

Growers should always consult a BASIS-qualified agronomist before choosing the most appropriate product.

Currently approved plant protection products that are either recommended for aphid control on strawberry or will give some incidental control of other pests in strawberry (October 2020)

Typical product name	Active ingredient (IRAC code)	Insecticide group	Compatibility with biological control agents used for strawberry pests	Comments
Agri 50 E	dodecylphenol ethoxylate	Physical-acting	Adverse effects on non-target insects or other arthropods that are hit by the spray, but it has no residual effect. Beneficials can be reintroduced into the crop after application once the crop has dried	Approved on outdoor and protected crops
Batavia	spirotetramat (IRAC code 23)	Tetronic and tetramic acid derivative	Harmless: lacewings, Aphidius and Anthocorids Harmless/slightly harmful: Neoseiulus, Amblyseius, Orius, ladybirds and hoverflies Slightly harmful/harmful: Phytoseiulus and Typhlodromus	Approved on outdoor and protected crops Can only be applied up until flowering or post-harvest
Decis Protech	deltamethrin (IRAC code 3)	Pyrethroid	Harmful to most biological control agents for up to 12 weeks. Incompatible with IPDM	Approved on outdoor crops only
Eradicoat, Majestik	maltodextrin	Physical-acting	Adverse effects on non-target insects or other arthropods that are hit by the spray, but it has no residual effect. Beneficials can be reintroduced into the crop after application once the crop has dried	Approved on outdoor and protected crops
Flipper	fatty acids	Physical-acting	The impact on IPDM programmes has not been established, but it has no residual activity so beneficials could be safely reintroduced after application once the crop has dried	Approved on outdoor and protected crops
Hallmark with Zeon Technology	Lambda-cyhalothrin (IRAC code 3)	Pyrethroid	Harmful to most biological control agents for up to 12 weeks. Incompatible with IPDM	Approved on outdoor and protected crops

This table has been collated using information from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website (pesticides.gov.uk) and from product labels and supplier technical leaflets. Important – regular changes occur in the approval status of plant protection products, arising from changes
in the legislation or for other reasons. For the most up-to-date information, please check the HSE website or with a professional supplier or BASIS-qualified consultant, as information could have changed since the publication of this web page.

Growers must hold a paper or electronic copy of an EAMU before using any product under the EAMU arrangements. Any use of a plant protection product via an EAMU is at the grower’s own risk.

Always follow approved label or EAMU recommendations, including rate of use, maximum number of applications per crop or year, and where crop safety information is not available, test the product on a small number of plants to determine crop safety prior to widespread commercial use.
If in doubt about which products are permissible on your crops or how to use them correctly, seek advice from a BASIS-qualified consultant.

Topics:

Pests Soft Fruit

Sectors:

Horticulture

Tags:

strawberry aphid control