Bayer insecticide Movento to launch UK first

An insecticide with the active ingredient Spirotetramat is set to be launched into the UK market by Bayer CropScience.

The product, marketed as Movento in the countries in which it is already registered, is expected to be approved in time for domestic use in 2010. This will make the UK one of the first European markets to gain this treatment.

The insecticide has been developed mainly for vegetable crops, to target sucking pests such as aphids and whitefly.

Dr Richard Meredith, development manager at Bayer CropScience, told freshinfo: “A lot of insecticides work on the nervous system, but this is completely different. This product works through the inhibition of lipid biosynthesis – lipid being the building blocks of cell membranes, among other functions.

"And what makes this product unique is that it can move up and down the plant, so an application to the leaves of lettuce can control aphids on the roots.

"Growers will see clear evidence of control within a few days, but it could take one or two weeks to complete the job. However, the level it reaches is much higher than from existing products – it is not a knock-down product, more like the hare and the tortoise; slower out of the starting blocks, but ultimately the winner. Its strength is hidden pests; this is about putting an end to hide and seek for growers.”