1 Apr 2014

Two more NZ-specific insecticides hit market

2:03 pm on 1 April 2014

A project funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries has resulted in more sustainable insecticides hitting the market, to control two major headaches for growers.

The Minor Crops project, which is being managed by a company called Market Access Solutionz, has launched one insecticide to control Kelly's citrus thrips and scale, and a second to control key pests in leafy vegetable seedlings.

They are the second and third products to have come out of the project, which is aimed at having between 15 and 20 such insecticides ready for sale before funding runs out next year.

A director of Market Access Solutionz, Nikki Johnson, says insecticides in the past have been very broad-spectrum, and would sometimes affect beneficial insects, but these ones are "more targeted towards a specific pest and are designed to have less or no impact on non-target pests".

Ms Johnson says home-developed insecticides are also beneficial because they are designed for New Zealand-specific conditions and fit with this country's unique food safety environment.