DuPont Altacor receives registration

DuPont Altacor insect control product has received federal registration approval for use on tree nuts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as well as approval from the state of California. The Altacor tree nut registration includes use on almonds, pistachios, pecans and walnuts, for control of key pests, including peach twig borer, navel orangeworm, codling moth, oriental fruit worm and obliquebanded leafroller.

"Altacor offers a mode of action that integrates well with existing insect pest management and resistance management programs for navel orangeworm, codling moth and peach twig borer," says David Haviland, farm advisor, entomology, UC Cooperative Extension, Kern County. "It has consistently been one of the top performers in University of California trials for navel orangeworm and other worm pests and does so while maintaining a reduced-risk status. Altacor will certainly become a valuable tool in California tree nut IPM."

Altacor, which received federal registration for use in pome fruits, stone fruits and grapes in May 2008, is powered by DuPont Rynaxypyr, a breakthrough mode of action that delivers fast-acting and long-lasting protection to help growers achieve high-quality, high-yielding crops.

It has an outstanding environmental profile, providing highly effective control of target pest species at low use rates, but with minimal impact on beneficial species. In addition, its mode of action gives tree nut growers more options in resistance management.

"This registration marks the expansion of a breakthrough mode of action product into a new crop segment," adds Lars Swanson, Rynaxypyr portfolio manager, DuPont Crop Protection. "We're excited to be able to offer tree nut growers new insect control solutions with high levels of efficacy and long-lasting activity on a wide spectrum of target pests."