JULY 3, 2006
EPA APPROVES ISCA TECHNOLOGIES’ SPLAT OFM 30M-1, MATING DISRUPTION FORMULATION FOR THE ORIENTAL FRUIT MOTH

ISCA Technologies is proud to announce the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) approval of SPLAT OFM 30M-1 (EPA registration number 80286-1) for the mating disruption of oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta.

The official EPA approval of SPLAT OFM 30M-1 was issued on March 3, 2006.
View the SPLAT OFM 30M-1 product label here.
View the SPLAT OFM 30M-1 product brochure here.

The oriental fruit moth (OFM) Grapholita molesta is a highly destructive pest of stone fruits, primarily infesting apples and pears. Native to Japan, this pest was introduced to the United States in the early 1900s. The oriental fruit moth is now found in all regions of North America, primarily the mid-Atlantic region, and many other stone fruit growing regions around the world. Damage caused by the OFM is typically referred to as flagging. Infested shoots and terminal leaves wilt and bend over. After larval emergence, the entire tip and its leaves dry up, and bend down even further.

The main tools used to control insect pests today are insecticides and mating disruption products. Four key problems are commonly associated with the over-use of insecticides: insecticide residues on food, increased insecticide resistance, detrimental effects of insecticides on beneficial insects, and the economically inefficient use of insecticides. Mating disruption products provide a more environmentally friendly and species specific approach in controlling target insect species.

While mating disruption products have proven to be more effective than insecticides in many independent studies, current mating disruption products have some drawbacks. They are either labor intensive because individual hand application on the crop is required, or, the mechanically applied formulations do not last long enough and need many applications over a season to effectively control the target species.

SPLAT OFM provides the mating disruption solution to address these drawbacks. In most cases, one application of SPLAT OFM has been demonstrated to provide mating disruption protection for the whole season. SPLAT products can also be mechanically applied (tractors, metered backpack sprayers, caulking guns, aircraft, etc.), thus reducing the costs of labor, yet maintaining mating disruption effectiveness for the entire season.

Competitive field studies have proven that SPLAT OFM is as or more effective than other mating disruption products. SPLAT OFM has been independently evaluated in many field studies with outstanding results. A study by Michigan State University researchers in 2006 shows that one application of SPLAT OFM in late spring effectively disrupts the OFM for the duration of an entire season.

Field Study Results:

• Adult moth monitoring
  Only 13 male oriental fruit moths were captured in plots treated with SPLAT OFM dispensers season long.
  
  
• Mating disruption evaluation
  Orientation of male moths to traps was disrupted > 99% for the duration of the entire season in plots treated with SPLAT OFM.

View the SPLAT OFM 30M-1 field study report here.

Says Dr Agenor Mafra-Neto, CEO of ISCA Technologies: “We are very pleased about the smooth EPA approval of SPLAT OFM 30M-1 for the oriental fruit moth, and, the results of independent studies that demonstrate its season long effectiveness. SPLAT mating disruption formulations are a technological leap that address many of the drawbacks that have hindered wider scale adoption of environmentally friendly mating disruption techniques.”

ABOUT ISCA TECHNOLOGIES’ SPLAT FORMULATIONS

SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology) has numerous advantages over current semiochemical controlled release technologies :

• Provides long term rain and UV protection for the pheromone and/or active ingredient.


• Biologically inert and bio-degradable matrix.


• Ability to vary release rates and duration from weeks to months with one application depending on the size of the SPLAT dollop, and in many cases, achieve season long control with one application.


• Amorphous and flowable quality allows for many types of application methods: spatula, caulking gun, metered backpack sprayer, tractor, aircraft, etc.
• Possible to develop formulations to target more than one pest with formulation mix of desired pheromones, active ingredients and/or pesticides.

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