For turf managers battling annual bluegrass weevils, Syngenta recently launched WeevilTrak Plus, an evolution of its WeevilTrak program, with Atexzo.
With the active ingredient isocycloseram, Atexzo is a new class of chemistry that received label registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency late last year for control of a variety of common pests in cool- and warm-season turf including annual bluegrass weevil adults and all larval stages.
The WeevilTrak Plus program offers greater application flexibility, enhanced efficacy, fewer applications, stronger resistance management and broader-spectrum control than many IGR‑based strategies, the company says.
With no signal word or caution on the label, Atexzo also is registered for control of armyworm, Asiatic garden beetle, Bermudagrass mites, billbugs, black turfgrass ataenius, crane fly, cutworms, European chafer, European crane fly, flea beetle, green June beetle, grubs, Japanese beetle, June beetle, May beetle, mole cricket, northern masked chafers, Oriental beetle, sod webworm, southern masked chafer, sugarcane grub, turf caterpillar and white grubs.
WeevilTrak Plus combines real‑time scouting insights from independent and university entomologists with the innovations in ABW control to help superintendents manage this pest in annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass turf.
"The novel active ingredient and mode of action of Atexzo allow us to significantly enhance the WeevilTrak Plus program," said Lisa Beirn, Ph.D., technical services manager for turf in the Northeast at Syngenta. "With the new four‑phase framework, superintendents can now achieve broader‑spectrum control with fewer applications—without sacrificing timing precision or season‑long performance."
Syngenta has also added two new monitoring sites in WeevilTrak Plus — Glen Flora Country Club in Waukegan, Illinois and Ravinia Green Country Club in Riverwoods, Illinois. Deerfield Golf & Country Club in Brockport, New York is replacing Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, New York.