Terminology can be confusing – locally systemic, fully systemic, translaminar – what does it really mean? It’s important to understand how an insecticide works to be sure you are getting the control you expect on target insect pests. Here are some simple definitions for the different ways insecticides work to control grape insect pests.
Contact activity – products that don’t penetrate the leaf cuticle – they control insect pests on contact.
Locally systemic – products that are absorbed into the outer layers of the leaf and move in only one direction.
Systemic – products that are only systemic in the xylem. They only move from the point of contact upward to new growth tissue.
Fully systemic – products that are applied to the leaf and absorbed into the xylem and phloem and move out to protect new growth and move down into the roots – fully systemic activity controls insects on above- and below-ground plant parts.
Translaminar – products that move to the opposite surface of the leaf to protect the top and bottom (underside) of the leaf, but do not use the plant’s nutrient system to move beyond the leaves it is applied to.
Translocation – how fully systemic products move through the entire plant. They are absorbed into the plant’s nutrient system (xylem and phloem) and move throughout the plant to protect above- and below-ground parts.