Aug 30, 2016

Botector receives California approval for stone fruit

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has approved the addition of stone fruit and almonds to the Botector label. California registration now provides stone fruit and almond growers with a new tool in preventing blossom blight and brown, according to Westbridge Agricultural Products.

Botector is an organic biofungicide which is also registered for the prevention of botrytis in grapes, tomatoes and berries, and anthracnose, phomopsis and rhizopus rots of berries.

The active ingredient in Botector consists of two strains of Aureobasidium pullulans, a beneficial fungus that is commonly found on the surface of fruit and flowers. Botector’s mode of action is “competitive exclusion”, whereby beneficial organisms outgrow disease pathogens, robbing them of essential nutrients and space for growth, according to the company. Because A. pullulans has evolved on the surface of plants, it will survive through irrigation or rain events, Westbridge said.

Botector is exempt from Maximum Residue Limits and there is no Pre-Harvest Interval), according to the company.

Botector can be used in both conventional and organic crops.

For questions about Botector or Westbridge product line, call 800-876-2767 or visit the Westbridge Agricultural Products website.