Suprado provides solution for ABW resistance, application timing and life stages

Logo: Quali-ProResistance issues, overlapping life stages, chemistries going away and costly damage are some of the reasons why superintendents in the Northeast work tirelessly to treat annual bluegrass weevils (ABWs).

Photo: Quali-Pro

Now, they have a new chemistry and mode of action to use in their rotations or as a standalone product with Quali-Pro’s Suprado insecticide. Powered by insect growth regulator Novaluron, Suprado controls ABWs in as little as one application, reducing the need for ongoing applications of multiple chemistries.

Suprado helps users address the challenges of treating ABWs in overlapping life cycles. The product has demonstrated control in all larvae stages, both when found in and out of the plant. When applied to adults, Suprado also affects their ability to lay eggs.

Both superintendents and distributors who have seen this low-toxicity product in action have been impressed with the results, sharing their top takeaways.

Treat multiple stages

Controlling ABW is a priority and cornerstone to maintaining the highest quality turf possible during the year for Logan Freeman, golf course superintendent at Mountain Branch Golf Club in Joppa, Md. He manages perennial ryegrass fairways and tees that have high percentages of Poa annua, typically performing up to five applications a year for ABWs.

“The hardest part about the pest is how quickly they can become destructive and the amount of turf damage they can cause,” Freeman says. “When it comes to controlling them, the timing is sometimes an issue. If we get ABW control wrong, we are in for a tough year.”

Photo: Logan Freeman

Logan Freeman

Photo: Quali-ProSo, when he learned about Suprado, he jumped at the chance to perform a side-by-side comparison with Suprado and another industry product. He says they did everything possible to stress the Poa annua during the trial to see ABW damage, but they never saw any.

“The results were outstanding. I feel confident Suprado has a place in my ABW control program,” Freeman says. “As a golf course superintendent, I am all about adding tools to my IPM toolbox, and based on my experience, Suprado may just be the sledgehammer I’ve been looking for in my battle against ABW. One of the exciting things about Suprado is that it’s something the ABWs have never seen before.”

Suprado can also prove especially beneficial for those who can only do one application for ABWs due to budget restrictions due to its standalone results.

“I think it gives the opportunity to reduce applications with the way it’s showing and the results it provided during the test,” Freeman says. “That’s going to be part of the benefit. It will free us up and maybe reduce the number of applications we have to manage.”

In addition to the product itself, Freeman says he also appreciates the support he’s received from his Quali-Pro rep. “The company is on board and understands the importance of what we’re trying to do here,” he says.

Proven in trials

Photo: Tom Leahy

Tom Leahy

Tom Leahy, golf course superintendent at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, N.Y., also put the product to the test on his course.

Photo: Quali-ProHe used Suprado on a one-acre demonstration area, along with a fairway where they traditionally had a good amount of ABW pressure. Leahy said they experienced good results with the product.

“We haven’t had any ABW issues in that area where I did the trial or any breakthroughs,” Leahy says. “With chlorpyrifos going off the market, my need for a product like this has increased. I’m confident that this product is going to fill a void that we have with the loss of chlorpyrifos in control of ABW.”

On average, they apply chemicals four to five times a year on greens for ABWs, along with one treatment and spot treatments on fairways. He’s a firm believer in focusing on the first generation of ABW in spring time with his control program, which is when he plans to use Suprado.

“I think it’s a product worth trying, and it might help cut back on applications,” Leahy says. “It will help a lot with resistance that is out there. It’s the perfect time for new chemistry for ABW control.”

Flexible timing

Photo: John Garcia

John Garcia

Distributors like John Garcia, co-owner of Atlantic Golf & Turf in Oxford, Conn., are equally excited about the release of Suprado. Garcia says he’s impressed with the research and trial results he’s seen with Suprado, especially because of the respected industry experts who performed them.

“Not only do we have excitement based on the research data we’ve reviewed, but for an independent distributor, Quali-Pro is one of our most trusted manufacturer partners in the industry,” Garcia says.

Photo: Quali-ProThrough this partnership, Garcia says he’s able to provide his customers with a brand-new chemistry and mode of action for controlling ABWs. That helps him set his business apart from his competitors and also offer his customers a much-needed product.

With resistance issues to pyrethroid and other chemistries like chlorpyrifos being taken off the market, professionals’ chemical options have continued to shrink. Considering ABWs are the most difficult pest to control in New England, that makes the superintendent’s job even harder.

“That has been a real challenge to lose older tools that have been available to keep this pest at bay,” Garcia says. “So, when something new comes along, it’s definitely something we will try to position with customers growing Poa annua. It’s great to be able to have a new rotational tool.”

Typically, superintendents have to pick a product to target adults or one that targets earlier stages of larvae. That requires them to track the growing degree days, perform soapy flushes to see where there’s larvae action and other measures to keep track of the stages.

Photo: PULLQUOTE

Soil temperatures are a major factor in ABW damage, and those temps can vary across a course. For example, a south-facing slope that is in the sun all day could be up to eight degrees warmer than other spots on the property, Garcia says. So, if they waited to treat the warmer areas until the rest of the property needed an application, it might be too late for them.

That’s why timing has historically been one of the most critical components with ABW applications. Since Suprado can treat a variety of life stages for this pest, users have a much wider window for when they can apply the product, helping to simplify the process.

“The flexibility of application timing is one of the most attractive things for the end user with this product,” he says.

Though new, customers know they are receiving a quality product with Suprado because of the company it comes from and the reputation it has created in the industry.

“I know their products are top-notch,” he says, adding that the timing couldn’t be better for Quali-Pro to bring a new patented ABW product to market. “It’s an interesting and exciting time for distributors and end users to make their lives better and save them some money.”

Reduce applications

Photo: Allan Fulcher

Photo: Allan Fulcher

Because the product can work on multiple life stages of this insect, the window of application is a little broader than with other products, says Allan Fulcher, vice president of turf, Quali-Pro.

“I think it’s going to be a gamechanger for superintendents,” Fulcher says. “They can still use other applications and products to ensure they control the pest, but I think after Suprado has been on the market for a couple of years, they will realize they don’t have to.”Photo: Quali-Pro

Quali-Pro is excited to provide a solution to a pest problem that has been difficult to control for years.

“We can offer a product no one else has and be a leader on this,” Fulcher says. “It’s really exciting to have unbiased research showing Suprado is in a class of its own — working on both pyrethroid-resistant and non-pyrethroid-resistant populations — with almost 100-percent control in nearly in every trial.”

Solution to resistance

Photo: Quali-Pro

Photo: Quali-Pro

While Suprado treats a pest primarily found in the Northeast, it’s only one example of how Quali-Pro has positioned itself as a leader in product development, says Paul Fox, national account manager, Quali-Pro.

“We’re really excited for this product and to continue to bring new and differentiated products to the market that are both economical and efficacious for our customers,” Fox says.

The chemistry affects all life cycles, allowing it to be used in different stages. Being a new mode of action, it’s something ABWs haven’t seen before, which isn’t the case with other products currently being used.

Photo: Quali-Pro“A lot of the chemicals superintendents are using today are in similar classes of chemistry,” Fox says.

That can lead to ABWs developing resistance to these chemistries, making them difficult to control. But with a new active ingredient, that isn’t the case with using Suprado.

“It’s another tool in the tool chest with good efficacy and time flexibility with applications that allows superintendents to create a program that best fits their course and needs,” Fox says.

Suprado will be available this fall for Quali-Pro’s early order program. For more information, visit Suprado.com.


Header image: John Leahy

This page was produced by North Coast Media’s content marketing staff in collaboration with Quali-Pro. NCM Content Marketing connects marketers to audiences and delivers industry trends, business tips and product information. The Golfdom editorial staff did not create this content.