Admiral, EC

Why Admiral, EC is the expert choice for controlling stubborn pests

In modern orchards and greenhouses, the primary concern for agronomists is pests with high reproductive rates and cryptic habits, such as San Jose scale, soft scales, and mealybugs. Admiral, EC, produced by Sumitomo Chemical Agro Europe S.A.S., addresses this challenge not by direct knockdown, but by disrupting the insect's hormonal development cycle.

Mode of action and field performance

The product contains pyriproxyfen, a potent juvenile hormone analog. Unlike traditional contact insecticides, Admiral targets larvae and eggs. Once it contacts the pest, the active ingredient interrupts the metamorphosis process: larvae fail to molt into the next developmental stage, and laid eggs become non-viable. In practice, this means you achieve clean harvests without fruit damage, even under high pest pressure.

Practical use scenarios

• Fruit orchards (apple, pear): The primary strategy involves targeting the first generation of scale insects and codling moths. Capturing the precise moment of crawler emergence is critical to minimizing pest potential throughout the entire season.
• Greenhouse vegetables (tomato, cucumber): In protected environments, mealybugs can devastate crops within weeks. Admiral is indispensable here due to its ability to suppress population reproduction, ensuring prolonged protection.
• Vineyards: Used for the control of scale insects that weaken vines and promote secondary fungal diseases due to honeydew excretion.

The product is formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate, ensuring excellent stability of the spray solution and uniform coverage of the leaf surface during vegetative spraying. Classified as a Hazard Class 3, it allows for flexible integration into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs, helping to preserve beneficial entomofauna when used according to standard protocols.