Control Citrus Leafminer by PROMATCH

Insecticide

The citrus leaf miner belongs to the family of Lyonetiidae in the order Lepidoptera. It harms all citrus plants, including mandarin, tangerine, orange, pomelo, and lemon, and is one of the main pests during the new shoot period of citrus.

Adult citrus leaf miners lay their eggs on the underside of young leaves. Upon hatching, the larvae tunnel beneath the leaf surface, feeding on the leaf surface and forming characteristic curved tunnels. As a result, the affected leaf tissues exhibit abnormal growth, causing the leaves to curl, harden, and fall off prematurely. Severe damage to new shoots can cause them to become twisted, affecting the following year’s flowering and fruiting. Moreover, damage to young trees can seriously affect crown expansion and tree vigor. The infestation can also damage young fruits, leaving scars on the fruit skin. Additionally, the wounds on branches and leaves are conducive to the invasion of other pests and diseases, such as cankers and mites. Given the abundance of uneven shoots on young trees, they are more susceptible to leaf miner damage and often experience more serious losses compared to mature trees.

Careful attention is required to minimize the negative impacts of leaf miners on citrus cultivation. Since leaf miners drill into leaves to cause damage, the pesticides used for prevention and control are required to have strong systemic properties, long-lasting effects, and good killing effects on eggs and larvae.

Sunjoy Agro recommends PROMATCH (Lufenuron 45% + Chlorantraniliprole 30% WG) to control citrus leaf miners. PROMATCH has stomach poison and contact kill effects, which can quickly halt feeding damage. Lufenuron is a chitin biosynthesis inhibitor that affects the formation of the insect cuticle to achieve its insecticidal effect. It has strong permeability and can kill newly laid insect eggs. Chlorantraniliprole is a type of nicotinic acid receptor activator that can cause muscle weakness and paralysis until the death of pests. It has good systemic properties and is especially effective against young larvae. Both active ingredients have excellent permeability and can penetrate into the interior of the plant to play a protective role. The efficacy period of PROMATCH is more than 10 days longer than conventional insecticides, and it is more rain-resistant and does not require frequent spraying.

PROMATCH has excellent quality. First of all, it uses high-purity technical materials comprising over 98% of its content. The fine particle size of the technical material improves the absorption rate of the pesticide. Secondly, it adopts the top low-temperature dry suspension technology, with a suspension rate of up to 99.9%, providing better dispersibility and reducing the likelihood of stratification and precipitation. The solution will not block the spray nozzle so it can significantly improve the safety of aerial spray. Finally, PROMATCH’s efficacy is significantly improved by the use of imported auxiliaries

High temperature and high humidity weather are conducive to the occurrence of leaf miners. Hence, it is important to prioritize preventive and control measures during the summer and autumn shoot growth periods. Application of PROMATCH is recommended prior to the emergence of summer shoots. It is advised to spray the pesticide at 8000-10,000 times dilution when leaf miners appear. A subsequent application of PROMATCH is advised upon the emergence of autumn shoots. Routine spraying every 15 days in seriously affected areas is recommended for effective control. Post-application observations indicate that leaf miners stopped feeding within two days, and some of the insects turned black and died. These findings suggest that the insect population could be greatly suppressed within 48 hours after the application. In addition, PROMATCH can also prevent and control other pests including rice stem borer (Chilo suppressalis Walker), cabbage beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua Hiibner), corn fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), citrus rust tick (Phyllocoptruta oleivora Ashmead), oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta), and litchi stem borer (Conopomorpha sinensis).

In terms of cultivation management, water and fertilizer supply should be regulated carefully, and early shoots should be pruned to ensure uniform growth of summer and autumn shoots. During winter garden maintenance, cutting off and burning off the damaged branches and leaves is advised. It is also beneficial to protect and utilize natural predators of citrus leaf miners such as lacewings and weaver ants.