University Research Confirms CheckMate® CRS Mating Disruption Reduces Pest Damage

Keeping California Red Scale (CRS) populations under control is necessary to produce high-quality fruit free of cosmetic damage. CRS heavily impacts the marketability of fruit and has the potential to cause serious downgrades at the packhouse. This scale pest can be difficult to manage with insecticides alone, especially because certain chemistries, like carbamates and organophosphates, have lost their registrations over the years. Despite these challenges, growers can rely on solutions like CheckMate^® CRS to effectively suppress California Red Scale populations.

CheckMate^® CRS Dispenser Proven to Effectively Reduce California Red Scale Populations

Researchers validated the efficacy of CheckMate^® CRS’s ability to effectively reduce California Red Scale populations and their associated damage dating back to 2016 (Grafton-Cardwell et al. 2021). Key findings from these studies, along with 8 years of wide-scale commercial adoption in citrus orchards, have proven that:

• Population Reduction: CheckMate^® CRS mating disruption effectively reduces California Red Scale populations in every generation.
• Reduced Pesticide Use: Use of CheckMate^® CRS mating disruption can reduce or eliminate pesticide applications.
• Damage Reduction: Significant trap suppression, population, and damage reductions are observed in blocks treated with Checkmate^® CRS dispensers.

CRS Case Study: Wonderful Citrus

Wonderful Citrus is known for producing high-quality, nutritious fruit, including Halos® Mandarins, Wonderful^® Seedless Lemons, and Red Scarlett^® Grapefruit. Ensuring these fruits are scale free is critical to maintaining high quality, marketability, and consumer appeal. Halos^® Mandarins in particular are a favorite among parents and children and recognized for their bright, blemish free rind. Even minimal levels of California Red Scale are unacceptable, as they greatly affect the fruit’s visual appearance leading to economic losses.

As Brandon Koch, PCA at Wonderful Citrus, explains, the cosmetic appeal of their fruit is crucial. He knows the importance of clean fruit for consumers because we all eat with our eyes first.

Brandon says that by implementing CheckMate^® CRS, Wonderful Citrus has seen remarkable benefits. “Our chemical usage and procurement have dropped exponentially over the years.”

He noted that prior to using CheckMate^® CRS, approximately 3,000 acres in a certain region required insecticide sprays to control CRS. By using this effective mating disruption approach, that acreage has been reduced to roughly 400 to 600 acres.

Koch prioritizes the product's reliability: “I would recommend Suterra to anyone in California and around the world.”

Suterra’s CheckMate^® CRS: The Revolutionary Pheromone Dispenser

CheckMate^® CRS is Suterra’s innovative mating disruption dispenser designed for control of California Red Scale populations. This cutting-edge product uses proprietary continuous-release technology, providing a full year of protection against CRS. The easy-to-deploy dispensers penetrate the citrus canopy to ensure the pheromone active ingredient is where it’s needed most.

As citrus growers ourselves, we know how important it is to produce high-quality, cosmetically appealing fruit, and solutions like CheckMate^® CRS are more important than ever in achieving goals. CheckMate^® CRS has enhanced fruit marketability and reduced reliance on conventional pesticides since its release in 2017. It continues to set the standard for sustainable pest management.

Learn more about why Suterra’s dispenser technology is the only effective mating disruption solution for California Red Scale. For more information on CheckMate^® CRS and our other proven pest management solutions visit Suterra’s Website and contact our team.