⋅ BY CARROLL SMITH ⋅
EDITOR
In cotton, nematodes have been called the invisible enemy, the threat beneath the soil and other ominous names. They tend to attack the plant’s roots — which increases susceptibility to disease — hinder water and nutrient uptake and ultimately result in economic loss from decreased yield.
Dr. Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia Extension plant pathologist, noted, “Where a nematode-resistant variety is not planted into a field infested with plant-parasitic nematodes, growers are advised to consider using a nematicide to protect the crop.”
Tankmix Partner For Thrips Control
While nematodes are trying to invade the roots of the cotton plant, thrips — another troublesome early season cotton pest — is feeding on the leaves and terminal tissues, especially during cool, wet periods.
To help take them out of the picture, Averland FC nematicide can be applied with Viloprid 4, a new imidacloprid insecticide used for thrips control. According to Huckabay, before Viloprid came on the market, the biggest issue with imidacloprid was storability.
“When imidacloprid sits in the jug, it clabbers and forms a chalky base on the bottom to where it won’t pour well,” he said. “Viloprid can be stored longer, and it pours better. Sometimes a jug will sit for two or three years. We want to make sure that when the farmer is ready to use it, Viloprid will have the same pourability as when it was brand new.”
Well-Rounded Resume
Last year, Averland FC nematicide stepped out on the cotton production stage via a soft launch before being officially released in 2025. This true, broad-spectrum liquid nematicide, manufactured by Vive Crop Protection, might be described as “having the whole package” in terms of ease of handling, low-use rate, broad-spectrum activity, safety and economical cost per acre.
Averland is designed to go out in-furrow at planting at 3.5 fluid ounces per acre, and no special system is required to apply it. At this rate, the cost is about $10 per acre compared to other products that fall in the $30 to $35-per-acre range.
George Huckabay, Vive’s Southern technical sales agronomist, said Averland has good activity against all nematodes and is not species-specific. It’s also compatible with pretty much all liquid fertilizers, he said.
Protecting the seed and root zone of the cotton plant can result in a yield increase at the end of the season.
“We do a lot of university testing and agricultural contract research trials,” Huckabay said. “We’ve got five years’ worth of trial data not only showing nematode control but also showing a yield increase.
“We then plug in the product cost per acre to see to see what the return on investment is. We’ve found that Averland FC is a viable ROI product to help the grower make more money per acre.”