May 15, 2011
Members of the lawn care sector are well into a new season, and still looking for a product that will improve the industry’s business climate.

It’s been a slow process for the industry that had traditional and effective products taken away with the 2009 pesticide ban in Ontario.

Left with corn gluten and nematodes, lawn care companies were hopeful when Sarritor and Fiesta come along after the ban. Both products ended their inaugural season to subdued reviews.

Pam Charbonneau, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs turfgrass specialist, says she isn’t sure how widely distributed Sarritor is going to be this season.

A brand new product, Organo-sol, has received its registration from PMRA, but as of mid-April it had not yet been classified by the Ontario Pesticide Advisory Committee. This product is made from dairy products fermented by lactic acid bacteria. The future of Organo-sol is also uncertain, as the section of Saputo that developed the product is shutting down.  

In response to questions about tight supplies of Fiesta, manufacturer Neudorff said it made a commitment to meet the needs of the market. “We expect an increase in sales of Fiesta this year. We also expect even better results because applicators have had a season of using Fiesta under their belts,” said product manager Tim Tripp.

Tripp is himself new to Neudorff this year. He says, “The uptake of Fiesta last season made it clear to Neudorff that they needed someone on the ground in Ontario to help manage the product.” He is based out of the Kitchener area.

A criticism of Fiesta after its first season was that the process required two applications. “In response to applying Fiesta more than once, research has shown that for best results Fiesta may require another application due to weed re-growth,” says Tripp.

Watch Horticulture Review for news throughout the season as the latest products hit the market.

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