Registration of SAGA™ Ant Bait

Registration of SAGA™ Ant Bait

RB firmly believes in integrated pest management (IPM) and its successful implementation relies on having access to a variety of tools to ensure long term environmental sustainability and food safety. Our producers are subject to various levels of food safety requirements, including phytosanitary pests and residue levels, setting a massive balancing act to manage market access and fruit quality.

Mealybug outbreaks are costly to control and are a significant market access risk. A biocontrol programme for mealybug has two main considerations: firstly, the impact of foliar applications and secondly, are there a large number of ants in the tree canopy, as both can be detrimental to gaining control of mealybug.

The importance of ant control in managing honeydew producing pests, like Mealybug, is reemphasised every year at the CRI IPM workshops. Current control options include the use of chemical applications either as a stump treatment or an ant bait in the form of granules. A current limitation to Global GAP compliance for producers is that no product has been registered for the control of both pugnacious and brown house ants. Almost a decade ago CRI researchers embarked on a research project to develop a product that addressed this and the result is the new RB product SAGA™, which is now the only registered product, with Act 36 of 1947, for use against both types of ant.

As proud members of the CGA, SAGA™ has been developed by industry bodies to assist our shareholders with achieving effective pest control in a compliant and sustainable manner which does not negatively impact beneficial insect complexes in the orchard.