In this article, Zsofia Sendre of the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University writes that the new pesticide effectively controls the Colorado potato beetle and a number of other potato pests, providing farmers with a valuable new tool to incorporate into their pesticide resistance management programs.
The Colorado potato beetle remains one of the most problematic potato pests. Farmers can now use Zivalgo (ifiazolin, prazoline technology), a new foliar insecticide that offers an important new tool for controlling the Colorado potato beetle.
Zivalgo is a Class 30 insecticide, meaning its mechanism of action differs from other insecticides currently approved for the control of the Colorado potato beetle. Because the Colorado potato beetle has long developed resistance to insecticides, adding a new mechanism of action is crucial for resistance management. Rotating different classes of insecticides during the growing season helps maintain the effectiveness of existing products.
Zivalgo is effective against all stages of the Colorado potato beetle and can be applied throughout the growing season, starting 14 days before harvest. However, in fields where insecticides were applied during planting to control overwintering beetles, Zivalgo is generally best used to control adult emergence in the summer, which typically begins in early July in many areas of Michigan.
To protect this new chemical and slow the development of resistance, avoid using Zivalgo on overwintering and summer adults in the same season.
Source: Michigan State University. Click here to read the full article. Image: Colorado potato beetle larvae feed on a plant. Photo by Zsofia Szendrei, Michigan State University.
Post time: Jun-15-2026
