Pyriproxyfen tape formulation

Sustainability of yellow color under sunlight is also an inq)ortant property of the tape formulation. By using a special coloring agent, the pyriproxyfen tape formulation showed excellent color sustainability. As shown in Figure 5, reflection spectrum of the tape formulation is not changed after 240 hours radiation by the Sunshine Fademeter (3). 

Application research indicated that the tape formulation should be applied horizontally along the ridges by preventive measure at the beginning of cultivation (4). Pyriproxyfen tape formulation keeps an excellent whitefly control through the cultivation period by this application method. Additionally, working time needed for application was significantly reduced by using tape formulation in comparison with the use of spray application. 

In Japan, to control greenhouse whitefly and cotton whitefly that infest vegetables and ornamentals in the greenhouse, a yellow plastic tape formulation containing pyriproxyfen was developed. The tape has been widely used as it can lower the population of whitefly for several months after installation, and the influence on natural enemies and pollinators is low, and so forth. The action mechanism in this system is that adults attracted by the yellow color touch the tape and take pyriproxyfen into the body. The hatching of oviposited eggs is strongly inhibited by ovicidal activity via adults [38, 39]. 

An emulsifiable concentrate and granules are sold as formulations containing pyriproxyfen. The tape formulation is also sold in Japan under the trade name of Lano . The physicochemical properties of the formulations are very good and storage stability is very good. Moreover, mixtures with various insecticides have also been developed and sold. 

The concept of pyriprox) en tape formulation and application technology is described in Figure 2. Essentially, the concept of the delivery system is to utilize the whitefly s attraction to the yellow tape formulation. Such attraction causes whitefly to land on the tape formulation and thereafter come into contact with pyriproxyfen which will result in the unhatching activity against whitefly eggs. Finally the tape formulation controls the next genereation of whitefly. 

Figure 3. Efficacy of Pyriproxyfen Yellow Tape and White Tape Formulations...

Efficacy of tape formulations with same pyriproxyfen amount and different sizes was evaluated. As shown in Figure 4, tape size affected the biological efficacy. This result also suggested that attraction efficiency is related to the biological performance of the tape formulation. 

Formulation study was conducted to optimize the pyriproxyfen content, tape width and its physico-chemical properties. Figure 6 shows the result of efficacy test using tape formulations with three levels of pyriproxyfen. The tape formulations with 1 g/m and 2 g/m of pyriprox)den have higher efficacy than the tape with 0.5 g/m of pyriprox)den. 

Figure 6. Efficacy of Tape Formulations with different pyriproxyfen contents...

The formulation study demonstrated that the biological efficacy and physico-chemical properties of the tape formulation are optimized by using a yellow tape containing 1 g/m of pyriproxyfen with 50 mm width and slow release characteristics (4). 

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