Tree injection

We have a huge elm beetle problem developing here, and people are scrambling to have something done.
I am looking into the Wedgle direct inject system as the least invasive, most contained option for injections.
Anybody have any experience with them, looks like a good system.

How does it compare with Arborjet? Just wondering.

http://arborjet.com/why_arborjet/tree_injection_advantage/our_competitive_advantage/

What is the problem that you are trying to prevent? DED, Elm Leaf beetle' Elm Bark Beetle?

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Elm leaf beetle.

It's bad here right now. Just went to see a tree that looked like a flamethrower had burnt it last summer. Already this spring the beetles are well into it.

Arborsystems Wedgle does not require pre drilling.
Looks like a much more compact system as well.
The Botanical Gardens here uses one already, they seem to have good results with it.

What species of elm are you working with Fiona?

Mainly English...some Dutch, some Golden

How about the NuArbor 1-2 soil injection system. You could use Imidacloprid for more of a preventative application or Dinotefuron for more of a responsive treatment. These are soil applied chemicals with no trunk injury at all. We use it and it's not perfect, but it's our preferred application method when ever possible.

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The jury is out on the efficacy of soil injection, and there is the possible knock-on effect of damage to soil micro-organisms.
Also uptake by nearby ornamentals that are bee-pollinated now the link between neonicitoids(sp?) like imidocloprid and bee collapse is strengthening.
In my area there are also wet and intermittent watercourses and imidicloprid is harmful to aquatic invertebrates.

I have always heard that soil injection is one of, if not the most effective ways to get product into a tree. However, I will give you all of the other gripes.

We just had several speakers at our WAA conference speaking about soil injections and there is plenty of science showing how well it works. They also talked about some of the negatives. They compared and contrasted trunk injections. They didn't sell me on that yet. Too many down sides in my opinion. Trunk wounding (all injections injure the trunk fairly significantly), phytotoxic reactions, price, still affect beneficial insects, translocation less than perfect, etc.

Unfortunately there is no perfect solution. It is interesting to see where the research is headed in terms of very specific targeted pest control.

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Soil injection is VERY effective. As for the adverse side affects, that makes plenty of sense.

Yeah I'm new to all this injection, soil and trunk, so reading what I can and talking to people who do it.
One conversation I had with a guy who's done injection and is head of horticulture at the local TAFE made mention that at least elms are pretty robust and handle dings and knocks no problem so a few injection holes should, we say should, pose a small ongoing risk.
The trees in my village were horrifically topped to about 20' for many, many years, (looong before I ever got there) seen pictures from the 1960's... once they put the power lines underground they let them grow out and I am nothing short of gobsmacked how well they are doing now...they must be excellent compartmentalizers.

People are really buzzed about the bee issue, as am I, so reducing the possible effect on them is fairly high in my decision making process

I use a basal trunk technique for a lot of tree treatments. Using Safari, I can get a 12 month residual against white fly.

Here's a video...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GpRl2LEL428" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Yeah, I heard about that product this summer when I was back in Bermuda, it was only getting approval for limited release to professionals, we were looking at it for treating palms. Thanks for the link.

I've treated palms using Safari with basal trunk application. You will need to add a penetrant to the mix.

Thanks, I'll probably be doing that next year. Got some high value clients with scale and whitefly issues on tall palms. much happier with the idea of a trunk spray than drenching the ground with a LOT of chemical.

Obviously not a neutral source, but still interesting?

from Competitive Advantage of Arborjet said:

Soil Injections - Soil injections similar to sprays require 7 - 30 times the amount of pesticide active ingredient than stem injections, and as much as 4000 times the amount of contaminated volume applied to the soil. In addition, soil applications work slower and typically provide a lower level of control. Finally, due to environmental risks, soil applications are limited to where they can be applied and how much can be applied in an area.

Cambial injections - Cambial injections are placed just under the bark. There are several issues with the placement of these products. First, the cambium is not the transportive tissue that brings nutrient and water throughout the tree. Additionally, it is a particularly sensitive area which we consider the embryo of the tree, where bark grows on one side and sapwood grows on the other. Finally, because of these issues, only very small doses can be applied. These small doses have been proven to lack the acheived with the Arborjet system. Sometime these products leak out and never reach the transport tissues of the tree. See video of pesticide leaking from cambium.

Click to expand...

Well the Arborsystems unit arrived on Friday. I must say it is a quality piece of equipment.

I'm spending some time getting familiar with it and will do some practice injections with water on some scrub trees.
It's almost mid summer here and the elm beetles have hatched their second generation. The larvae are busy skeletonizing leaves and any adults are munching as well. It typically gets warm and dry here now and dry winds almost every afternoon.

Would anybody advocate injecting now to knock back the worst infestations on some trees, or would waiting till next spring, while putting up with a nasty looking tree by the end of summer, be the most effective?

I know that the imidicloprid injection can only be done once a season at the most, so I am looking for the best time to do this, my gut says wait till spring, but I have about four specimens that are going to look pretty bad in a month, its still early mid summer, do you think the movement of sap will still be vigourous enough to get the product around the tree?

One thing I want to do is like a 'control' experiment. I'm going to find a medium sized elm somewhere out of the way and do at least two injections each year around the circumference for a few years, then cut the sucker down and dissect it, 'a la' Shigo and really see what goes on inside. There seems to be a bit of 'scaremongering' against repeat injections most directed at the drill type injections and granted its invasive and we all know what happens with wounds, but the elms here are so vigourous, I think they'll be able to cope. Be interesting to see though as this system is the most minimally invasive

I also think witht he bee scare on imidicloprid, that soil injecting will be phased out at some time due to the uptake by adjacent flowering plants, just speculating, but best to be ready.

It takes 2-4 weeks supposedly for imidicloprid to to reach the canopy depending on weather and soil moisture. Anytime after leaves have reached half formed until the weather starts to break for winter is acceptable. Typically arborsystems imidicloprid is considered good for 1-2 seasons depending on the critter you are trying to control so you're better off injecting as early as possible in the season bearing in mind the half formed leaves. The reason for that is the cambium is less pliable and prone to splitting if you go too early.
As to the soil injections of this product, I have found some trees respond better to soil injections. They definitely get more product into the system. Also, to my knowledge, imidicloprid that is in the system of a plant is not known to harm bees. Two manufacturers I have spoken with have said it is difficult to get a systemic insecticide into the flowers or seeds in levels strong enough to "control" pests.