Thiamethoxam has many advantages, making it highly effective when applied this way!

Release Date:

2019-03-31

In the warm spring season, as all things come back to life, the tender shoots of countless plants become a feast for insects. Though this is a common occurrence in nature, it poses a serious headache for farmers, often leading to crop losses. To mitigate the damage caused by pests, we have developed a wide array of insecticides. While these products may appear similar in their mechanisms of action, how can we choose the one that truly suits our crops? This time, let’s discuss thiamethoxam. What advantages does it offer over older-generation insecticides? Thiamethoxam boasts high activity; its primary metabolite in insects is clothianidin, which exhibits strong affinity for insect acetylcholine receptors.

In the warm spring season, as all things come back to life, the tender shoots of countless plants become a feast for insects. Though this is a common occurrence in nature, it poses a major headache for farmers, often leading to crop losses and reduced yields. To mitigate the damage caused by pests, we have developed a wide array of insecticides. While these products may appear similar in their mechanisms of action, how can we choose the ones that are truly suited to our specific crops? This time, let’s talk about thiamethoxam. What advantages does it have over the older generation?

Thiamethoxam has high activity.

　　In insects, the major metabolite of thiamethoxam is clothianidin, which exhibits a higher affinity for insect acetylcholine receptors than thiamethoxam and thus possesses greater insecticidal activity.

　　Meanwhile, the hydroxylated metabolites of imidacloprid all exhibit reduced activity.

Thiamethoxam has high solubility in water.

　　Thiamethoxam has eight times the water solubility of imidacloprid; therefore, even under drought conditions, it does not impair wheat’s uptake and utilization of thiamethoxam.

　　Studies have shown that, under normal humid soil conditions, thiamethoxam exhibits control efficacy comparable to that of imidacloprid; however, under drought conditions, it significantly outperforms imidacloprid.

Low level of thiamethoxam resistance

　　Imidacloprid has been on the market for nearly 30 years, and resistance in pest populations has become increasingly severe.

　　According to reports, the brown planthopper, cotton aphid, and leek midge have all developed a certain degree of resistance to it.

　　Moreover, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid pose a very low risk of cross‑resistance in pests such as the brown planthopper and cotton aphids.

Thiamethoxam can enhance crop stress resistance and promote crop growth.

　　Thiamethoxam also boasts an advantage that no other insecticide can match: it promotes root development and strengthens seedlings.

　　Research indicates that thiamethoxam can activate plant stress‑response proteins and, at the same time, modulate the levels of auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia‑lyase within the plant. Consequently, thiamethoxam strengthens both the stems and roots of crops, enhancing their stress tolerance.

Thiamethoxam has a longer residual efficacy.

　　Thiamethoxam exhibits strong foliar systemic activity and root uptake, allowing the active ingredient to be rapidly and thoroughly absorbed.

　　When applied to the soil or to seeds, thiamethoxam is rapidly taken up by roots or emerging seedlings and transported upward through the plant’s xylem to all parts of the plant. It persists in the plant for an extended period and degrades slowly; moreover, its degradation product, clothianidin, exhibits even higher insecticidal activity. Consequently, thiamethoxam has a longer residual efficacy than imidacloprid.

Thiamethoxam target pests

　　1. Control of rice planthoppers: Apply 1.6–3.2 grams per mu of a 25% thiamethoxam water-dispersible granule formulation (containing 0.4–0.8 grams of active ingredient) by spraying during the early peak period of nymph emergence, using 30–40 liters of spray solution per mu. Spray directly onto the leaf surface to ensure rapid systemic translocation throughout the entire rice plant.

　　2. Control and prevention of apple aphids: Apply a 25% thiamethoxam solution diluted 5,000–10,000 times, or add 10–20 mL of 25% thiamethoxam per 100 liters of water (yielding an active concentration of 25–50 mg/L), or spray foliarly at a rate of 5–10 g per mu (containing 1.25–2.5 g of the active ingredient).

　　3. Control and prevention of whiteflies on cucurbit crops: Apply at a dilution of 2,500–5,000 times, or spray at a rate of 10–20 grams per mu (containing 2.5–5 grams of active ingredient).

　　4. Control of cotton thrips: Apply a spray at a rate of 13–26 grams per mu of 25% thiamethoxam (containing 3.25–6.5 grams of active ingredient).

　　5. Control of the pear psylla: Apply a 10,000-fold dilution of 25% thiamethoxam, or add 10 mL per 100 L of water (yielding an active concentration of 25 mg/L), or spray at a rate of 6 g per mu of orchard (containing 1.5 g of active ingredient).

　　6. Control of citrus leafminer: Apply a 25% thiamethoxam solution diluted 3,000–4,000 times, or add 25–33 mL per 100 liters of water (effective concentration 62.5–83.3 mg/L), or spray at a rate of 15 g per mu (containing 3.75 g of active ingredient).

Source: Farmers’ Agricultural Technology, Fertilizer and Pesticide Assistant

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