Colorado potato beetle repellent Regent and Regent 800: instructions for use (photo)

Fertilizers and preparations

Fipronil, the active ingredient in the Colorado potato beetle control products Regent and Regent 800, belongs to a new class of toxic chemicals, and the instructions for use indicate that it is classified as hazard class 2. This highly effective product requires only one spraying per season on a field or garden to eliminate the Colorado potato beetle and protect the future potato crop.

It requires careful handling, but it can eradicate not only the Colorado potato beetle but also many other pests that haven't developed resistance. The compound was only recently developed and is classified as a stomach-contact, toxic, prolonged-release insecticide. These insects can significantly reduce or ruin a vegetable grower's investment in potato planting. Regent eliminates them quickly and at any stage of development.

Despite their relatively recent introduction to the retail market, Regent and Regent 800 Colorado potato beetle control products are more effective than neonicotinoids, pyrethroids, and organophosphates. The instructions for use warn of the need to observe certain precautions. User reviews attest to the high effectiveness and 100% success rate of this toxic powder, which can even kill cockroaches in a residential building.

Regent is an insecticide produced by the German company BASF, whose factories are located in many corners of the globe, including the Russian Federation. It has analogues from domestic manufacturers that are similar in toxicity and mechanism of action.

In this case, the guarantees of effectiveness and factors of preference may be the adherence to technologies in complex chemical processes, and high quality, characteristic of German industry.

Description and characteristics of the drug

Regent, a Colorado potato beetle repellent, is relatively new to the chemical market. Classified as a toxic insecticide with a 2nd hazard rating for humans, it uses an intestinal-contact mechanism and provides a prolonged but reliable effect. Its unique features include the use of the recently developed active ingredient fipronil. It was developed by chemists at a renowned German industrial company, based on proven phenylpyrazole compounds.

Advice: The most favorable period for the destruction of the Colorado potato beetle population with Regent is the moment of emergence of an adult beetle capable of producing numerous offspring, or the period of hatching of larvae that have not yet acquired resistance to the drug used.

Regent's effectiveness lasts for another 2-3 weeks (depending on the diluted amount), allowing for the removal of not only existing adults and hatched larvae from the area, but also any offspring that will emerge from the eggs after the beetles die. In this regard, the manufacturer positions its development as a chemical agent with no industrial equivalents. Its action, which occurs after intestinal or direct contact with the beetle, reduces vital activity for 12-24 hours before death and prevents the production of new ovipositors.

The product's toxicity period leads to the complete eradication of the Colorado potato beetle population. It also eliminates other insects that pose a threat to potato plant foliage, such as aphids and spider mites.

The instructions for use for Regent against Colorado potato beetles, included in each package by BASF, include the following parameters:

broad-spectrum insecticide;
an insecticide created on the basis of the active ingredient fipronil, a derivative of an already known class of chemical compounds – phenylpyrazoles;
a class 5 drug, the latest development, to which the pest has not developed resistance (unlike others, which have partially or completely lost their danger due to insects becoming accustomed to them);
has a dual, intestinal and contact mechanism of action;
It is available in several types of packaging, there are different forms of the drug for ease of use by consumers;
does not lose its toxicity in the heat, because it is resistant to high temperatures (other drugs of this class and toxic properties lose their effect due to the instability of the compounds);
The translaminarity of the poison from the Colorado potato beetle Regent is ensured by absorption by the leaves and stems of the plant (the potato bush gets the ability to independently defend itself from the aggressor);
To protect a field or garden, one treatment per season is sufficient (Regent, a Colorado potato beetle treatment, lasts for 20-30 days and completely destroys the population).
the concentration of the active ingredient is 800 g per 1 kg of powder or granules, and the ampoules contain a concentrated solution, which makes it possible to get by with a small quantity and makes the purchase cost-effective;
has minimal penetration into fruits and tubers: during processing it does not pose a danger to future food products.

Interesting: The active ingredient in Regent Colorado potato beetle poison, fipronil, acts as a blocker of the nerve center responsible for the synthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Beetles die from paralysis when they come into contact with the substance or enter the intestines.

Mode of action, composition and toxicity

The Regent insecticide, as stated in the manufacturer's instructions, is effective against any insects, including the Colorado potato beetle, and has a dual mechanism of action against this pest, which is dangerous to potato fields:

contact, based on contact with the body of the insect and having a poisonous effect on the beetle or larva upon direct contact;
intestinal (poison entering the pest's body when eating leaves and absorbed during digestion of food with a diluted chemical composition.

Additional, translaminar protection is achieved by Regent's ability to penetrate and spread throughout plant cells against the Colorado potato beetle. This protects those potato segments not reached by the poison during spraying. Gardeners don't need to worry about spraying the insecticide on lower leaves or stems, which are hidden by the top layer of green matter.

Please note: It doesn't matter whether the commercial product is purchased as a solution or powder, because it is still applied to the plant diluted. You only need to consider the area that can be treated with the package, based on your current needs.

All forms of Regent (powder, granulated product, and concentrated solution in sealed ampoules) contain 800/1000 of the active ingredient, fipronil, a phenylpyrazole. Ampoules have a longer shelf life but can be difficult to open for an inexperienced gardener, and the powder can be dangerous to children who handle it.

Important: The instructions for Regent Colorado potato beetle powder include a special section on the potential risks of the product falling into the hands of children. Therefore, storage conditions are specifically specified (keep it in a cool, dark place, out of reach of children).

The instructions for using Regent and Regent 800 for all insects, including the Colorado potato beetle, list the toxicity as hazard class 2 for humans and are lethal to insects. However, the chemical is not phytotoxic and is completely safe for plants. It penetrates stems and leaves but does not penetrate the fruit, so using Regent against fruit pests is only advisable if the pests are present on the surface at some stage of their development.

Application and safety precautions

Vegetable growers' reviews attest to the high effectiveness of Regent against the Colorado potato beetle, which occurs when the necessary cultivation and propagation conditions, detailed in the manufacturer's instructions, are met.

A 500-gram package of water-dispersible granules, powder, or ampoules of concentrated solution are diluted in water at room temperature. Calculate the amount of solution required. For a significant pest population and a large number of adult insects per 100 square meters, one ampoule or 10 liters of powder solution (10 liters = 5 g) may be required. For less intense pest infestations, one ampoule per 200 square meters or 5 liters of solution is sufficient, applied directly to bushes by spraying or nebulizing. When using a household insect control product (cockroaches, German cockroaches, bedbugs), the ampoule is diluted in 300 or 500 ml of water.

For reference: When spraying, wear protective equipment for your respiratory system, face, and hands. To protect yourself from contact with the poison, it's best to wear long sleeves and pants, a protective mask, or a respirator.

Store the sealed product at a moderate temperature until the expiration date printed on the package, out of the reach of children. The prepared solution retains its effectiveness for no more than a few hours.

Fact: Today, Regent is one of the most effective fifth-generation insecticides available. The Colorado potato beetle has not yet developed resistance to these products, so using Regent from BASF will help solve the problem and rid potato crops of these pests.

Comments to the article: 1

Oksana

I bought Regent 800 in 0.5-gram bags. I used it as bait for mole crickets. I boiled 1 kg of peas and added a solution of this product to it. I dug it into the potato rows. It's been almost a month now, and there are no mole cricket tunnels in the beds; I only see dead ones in the soil. Overall, the product is doing its job.

Answer