Evaluation of Dazitol for the management of nematodes in raspberry

Project Code: BPR13-040

Project Lead

Thomas Forge Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
Brian Cortright Michigan Ag research farm, Albion, United States of America (U.S.A.)

Objectives

To develop efficacy and crop tolerance data in support of a regulatory submission for Dazitol™ for the management of nematodes in raspberry

Summary of Results

Background

Nematode disease is a serious problem in most raspberry growing regions in Canada. There are few products available for the management of this pest on raspberry. During the Annual Biopesticide Priority Setting Workshop in March 2012, nematodes in raspberry were selected as a priority issue by Canadian growers.

Dazitol™ (mustard oil and oleoresin of capsicum), a broad spectrum, soil applied pesticide developed by Champon Millennium Chemicals, Incorporated, was identified as a potential solution to the problem by growers at this meeting. Dazitol™ is registered in the United States for the control of nematodes and other pests on various crops including raspberry.

Approaches

Two trials evaluating the use of Dazitol™ for the management of nematodes in raspberry were conducted, one in British Columbia, Canada and another in Albion, Michigan, United States. Plots were inoculated with nematodes (Pratylenchus spp. Helicotylenchu spp, and Xiphinema spp.) in the Michigan trial, while plots in Canada were naturally infested by nematodes. The product was hand-applied by drench at the recommended 60 Liters per hectare (L/ha) rate at both sites.

Results

In the Canadian trial, population densities of root-lesion nematodes were adequate for efficacy evaluation; however nematode counts and plant damage were not different between the treated and untreated plots.

At the trial site in Michigan, mainly root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus sp.) were recovered, and these were numerically more common at three of four sample times in the untreated plots than in treated plots. Although differences in nematode counts were not statistically significant, they were easily observable (nematodes numerically decreased by less than 50 percent (%) in treated as compared with untreated soil and root tissues on most sampling days). In all cases, plant damage was light and no differences were identified among treatments. No symptoms of phytotoxicity were observed in either trial.

The data generated within these trials is included in a regulatory data package for the registration of Dazitol™ in Canada.