MOISTURE MANAGEMENT IS KEY

Managing soil moisture will be crucial for turf managers looking to control leatherjackets this autumn, Syngenta has advised.

Speaking at the GroundsFest 2025 Education Programme, technical manager Sean Loakes warned that this summer’s drought has left soils extremely dry - conditions which could reduce the effectiveness of both insecticide and nematode treatments.

“Leatherjacket larvae are most active in moist soils, where they are most effectively targeted,” he explained. “If it remains too dry, they retreat deeper into the profile, limiting contact with treatments such as Acelepryn or NemaTrident F nematodes.”

Syngenta’s Pest Tracker data continues to point to around 20 October as the optimum Acelepryn application date, followed within a week by nematodes. Soil moisture levels should ideally be around 20% for Acelepryn and 30% for nematodes, then maintained at 25%+ for up to 10 days.

To help maintain moisture in the rootzone, Sean recommended the use of wetting agents such as Qualibra, which can also alleviate dry patch.

He also cautioned against hollow-tine aeration immediately before treatment, with Syngenta and STRI research showing it can reduce control by allowing larvae to bypass treated soil.

Alongside chemical and biological options, the company highlighted wider turf health measures - including biostimulants, PGRs, wetting agents and pigments - to strengthen plant resilience and recovery from pest damage.