SePRO Corporation announces that it will introduce New Preferal Biological Insecticide to the U.S. commercial greenhouse, nursery and landscape markets. Preferal is a biological insecticide containing blastospores of a naturally-occurring strain of the fungus Isaria fumosoroseus which has demonstrated very good control of whitefly, aphid, thrips and spider mites. Dr. Lance S. Osborne, with the University of Florida, isolated Isaria fumosoroseus. Certis USA has licensed the technology from the University of Florida and has entered into a marketing and supply agreement with SePRO to market and further develop Isaria fumosoroseus in the U.S. greenhouse, nursery, landscape and turf markets.
Used successfully by European growers today in Integrated Pest Management programs, Preferal provides excellent control of all life stages of whitefly. Formulated as a water dispersible granule that is mixed with water and applied as a spray, the spores of Preferal then attach and penetrate the cuticle of targeted insect pests. The fungus grows inside the insect, causing its death. Under favorable environmental conditions, the fungus will emerge from killed insects to re-release more viable spores to sustain further infections in other insects.