Drugs used to control soil pests can be not only synthetic. Biological products based on living components are also used. Let's consider the composition, release form of Nemabact, operating principle, benefits and harms of the drug, its use according to the instructions, compatibility with pesticides, storage rules and substitute products.
Composition and release form
The drug "Nemabakt" is manufactured by the company "Biodan".The preparative form is an aqueous suspension of nematodes of the species Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser). 1 g of foam sponge contains 5 million of them. The product has an intestinal effect on pests. The drug is produced in plastic bags, each containing 50 million predatory nematodes.
Principle and scope of action of "Nemabact"
It is used for processing cabbage, currant cuttings and ornamental crops grown indoors. Pests: cabbage fly, currant glass, grooved mower.
Operating principle: nematodes infected with a symbiotic bacterium make their way into the pest larva, feed on the contents, actively reproduce, then leave an empty shell and find another insect. Worms settled on a plot of soil clean it not only in the year of application, but also for 2-3 years in a row, before the cold weather they hibernate, and become active again in the spring.
Benefits and harms of the product
"Nemabact" is completely harmless to people, animals, bees, fish, and earthworms. It is enough to carry out just one treatment, the nematodes will continue to fight pests for at least 2 years, they will remain alive, even if there are no insect larvae, their food, in the ground. Nematodes kill insects at the age of larvae, and they do not have time to harm plants. When used correctly, the product does not harm plants, soil and beneficial organisms.
Instructions for using Nemabact for different crops
For Nemabakt to work, it must be applied at a specified time, when the insects are at a certain stage of development. This should be done at least 1-2 weeks before the start of the desired phase, so that the worms have time to penetrate the soil and spread in it.
Currant cuttings from currant glass are processed by placing them in sand moistened with Nemabact solution for 3 days. Application rate: 200-300 worms per cubic meter. see sand. Processing temperature – 25 ˚С. Ornamental crops are treated at the rate of 10 thousand nematodes per plant. Water with a solution, spending 400 liters per hectare.
To prepare the solution, you need to use warm water; you can stir it in an ordinary bucket. Water the beds with Nemabakt solution in the morning or evening when there is light rain or cloudy weather. The air temperature should be no higher than 26 °C, humidity – higher than 80%. The liquid should be poured onto the ground and should not be allowed to fall on the leaves of plants. The solution on them will dry out, and the nematodes will dry out and die along with it.
Approximately 1 bucket of solution is consumed per 1 hectare. It is advisable to prepare the soil before watering: loosen it; this must be done if the soil is compacted. In loose soil, nematodes will begin to reproduce faster. When applying, you need to make sure that the solution is homogeneous; to do this, you need to mix the liquid in a bucket.
Safety precautions
"Nemabakt" belongs to drugs with toxicity class 4, which means that the product is safe to use and does not cause poisoning. You can work with it wearing regular gloves. After work, just wash your hands with soap.
Compatibility with other substances
The drug with nematodes can be combined with biological products for plant protection. It is better not to mix with chemicals. If you need to treat the plants with any other pesticide, you need to wait about 2 weeks.
Storage rules
The biological product must be stored and transported correctly. Since the nematodes in the product are live, they require storage at a temperature of 2-8 °C. The drug cannot be frozen, so it should only be kept in rooms heated in winter.
Do not store in a well-lit room; sunlight is harmful to nematodes. Chemicals and toxic agents should not be kept near the biological product.
If storage conditions are met, Nemabact is not stored for long - only six months. Then the drug completely loses its effectiveness; there is no point in using an expired product. The diluted solution must be used all at once; it cannot be left even for 1 day. Nematodes need oxygen; they will die in water.
Analogues of the drug
There are few biological agents that act in this way. In Russia you can buy Antonem-F and Protonem.
The new drug "Nemabact" is different in that it uses roundworms living in the soil to control pests rather than chemicals. Because of this, it becomes one of the few completely safe preparations for soil, plants, animals, insects, microorganisms, and soil worms. Predatory nematodes destroy pests when they are still in their early stages, which is why they do not have time to spoil plants and reproduce. The drug works not only in the year of application, but also in the next 2-3 seasons. This allows you to save money on the purchase of other funds and time to deposit them. Due to the economic benefits, the product is recommended for use both on private farms and on farm plots.
Despite the obvious advantages, Nemabact also has disadvantages that need to be remembered when using: to maintain the effectiveness of the drug, it must be properly stored, diluted and applied, otherwise there will be no result.
