The benefits Du-Wett® consistently deliver to horticultural spray applications are now being realised by farmers and spraying contractors responsible for insect pest management in forage brassicas and other agricultural crops.

Gilchrist Brothers Ltd is an agricultural contracting business specialising in broad acre cultivation, precision planting, agronomy services and chemical application. Located in the Waimakariri district, the contractor has seen the benefits of using Du-Wett in its spraying services. Peter Gilchrist comments: “As an agricultural spraying contractor there is high pressure to service a lot of clients in a very small window. Being completely ruled by the weather, you are always looking for opportunities to become more efficient and provide the best service possible. Du-Wett allows us to do this by giving better results with superior retention of spray droplets on the target crop. Forage kale is a great example, a large leafy crop. Du-Wett’s super spreading ability for insecticides is excellent for systemic products. A win for us and a win for the client”.

Developed by Etec, Du-Wett super spreader has been a key surfactant used with crop protection products across New Zealand horticulture for many years. “Du-Wett super spreader surfactant plays an important part in maximising the efficiency of insecticides applied to brassica crops” says Etec Crop Solutions Business Development Manager, Darren Faire.

Compared to conventional non-ionic surfactants Du-Wett offers a superior level of spray deposition. The formulation allows more spray droplets to stay on the crop where you want them, rather than shatter and bounce off. Once on the brassica, Du-Wett reduces the surface tension of the spray droplet to provide unsurpassed coverage over the plant.

Etec trials have shown this enhanced spray coverage can be anywhere from 5 to 10 times greater than other surfactants. The nature of forage brassicas lends itself to the use of Du-Wett with insecticide applications as forage brassicas are notoriously difficult to get spray droplets to adhere to and get coverage over.

Lower water volumes are often able to be used to spray a crop. The savings in spray tank fills makes this is an economically invaluable benefit of Du-Wett, particularly for spraying contractors and large-scale brassica farmers.

Contact your local PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative to discuss options for effective control of insect pests.

Article supplied by Etec