Product guide 

General Information

The nematodes are supplied as ‘Infective Juveniles’. These seek out suitable hosts by swimming in the thin film of water on soil particles, and they locate hosts by detecting carbon dioxide and other waste products. Once they find a host, they enter the body cavity through the mouth, anus or spiracles, and release bacteria (Xenorhabdus) into the host’s body cavity. These bacteria kill the host within a matter of hours, and the nematodes then grow and reproduce within the ‘broth’ which they produce. The next generation of infective juveniles then leaves the dead host, and moves through the substrate in search of fresh hosts. Infected hosts generally become brown and flaccid as the infection develops, but once dead can be difficult to find in soil. The nematodes are active at temperatures as low as 8°C, but the bacteria which they use to kill their hosts are not: minimum soil/compost temperatures need to be 12°C for the nematodes to work effectively. The bacteria are disabled above 26°C: use in high ambient temperatures can result in failure. The best time to use this product is in April/May and in August/September when larvae are active in the soil/compost.

Exhibitline h contains living organisms that require special handling and application procedure. Follow these instructions carefully to obtain maximum activity. See reverse of this sheet for use instructions.

How to use Exhibitline h

For optimum results

• Treatment should be applied when vine weevil larvae are present, in spring and autumn
• Soil or compost temperatures should be between 12 and 30ºC for at least two weeks after application
• The soil or compost should be moist
• Routinely treat new material coming onto the nursery that may contain vine weevil larvae
• Use entire pack at one time
• Once nematodes have been mixed with water, use immediately
• Agitate nematodes constantly during application
• If product is applied over foliage, irrigate immediately with water to wash nematodes onto compost.

Mixing and loading

1. Remove all fine filters including those in the nozzles from the sprayer
2. Empty the Exhibitline h pack into a large bucket, add water and mix thoroughly
3. Rinse bucket contents into the sprayer tank through its sieve
4. Agitate contents of spray tank, maintain this until spraying is completed
5. Add the required volume of additional water to the tank
6. Apply Exhibitline h to the crop at the appropriate rate

Application method

Drench Application:
Preferred method, especially where crop canopy is dense. Make up the Exhibitline h to give a final dilution of 1 pack in 200 litres water. Apply at 4 litres/m². Fig. 1 gives volumes of diluted Exhibitline h required for different pot sizes.

Spray Application:
Make up the Exhibitline h to give a final dilution of 1 pack in 50 litres water if treating open soil, or 1 pack in 100 litres water if treating pots/containers. Apply at 1 litre/m².

Knapsack sprayer:
Make up Exhibitline h to give one pack in 10 litres water, then dilute this stock solution as Fig. 2.

Precautions:

• Do not use product is past expiry date or incorrectly stored
• Exhibitline h is compatible with many commonly applied pesticides, but some chemicals may reduce the viability and/or efficacy of the product
• Details are available from your distributor
• Exhibitline h persists for approximately four weeks, larvae emerging from eggs laid after this time may be poorly controlled

Storage and transport

• Upon receipt remove outer packaging
• Store Exhibitline h in a refrigerator (5ºC)
• Do not freeze
• Ensure good air circulation around each pack
• Use entire pack contents at one time – do not sub divide packs as each contains a measured dose of nematode
• Use before expiry date

Fig 1

  Fig 2