Brassica growing is continuous cropping by design, and the pest pressure follows the calendar: caterpillar generations overlap from transplanting to head fill, and the two diseases that matter most — downy mildew and black rot — wait for the warm, humid spells of the heading period. A workable brassica pest management program therefore reads as a sequence, not a list of products: pick the caterpillar chemistry by species and resistance history, and reserve two clean windows for disease protection.
This guide assembles that program from the Chinese registration labels held by BNSD Agro (Shandong Bainong Sida Biotechnology Co., Ltd.), with label rates and the rotation logic that holds it together.
The Caterpillar Complex: Three Pests, Three Personalities
Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is the defining brassica pest: small larvae feed on leaves and burrow toward the head, and the species is notorious for evolving resistance to nearly every chemistry ever thrown at it. Beet armyworm feeds in clusters, skeletonizing patches of leaf before dispersing. Cabbage worm (Pieris species) chews large holes and contaminates heads with frass. Different personalities mean different product choices — and a resistance history that makes IRAC rotation non-negotiable.
Diamondback Moth: Four Registered Options
On the Chinese labels, four products cover diamondback moth control, at two levels of the resistance ladder:
- Emamectin benzoate 5% water-dispersible granule (WDG), 3–4 g/667 m² — the single-active baseline, dust-free granules that disperse instantly.
- 11.6% emamectin + chlorantraniliprole suspension concentrate (SC), 5–10 mL/667 m² — a mixture pairing IRAC group 6 with group 28 (diamide), built for pressure that single actives no longer hold.
- 11.8% emamectin + chlorfenapyr SC, 20–40 mL/667 m² — a second mixture, pairing group 6 with group 13, as an alternative rotation direction.
- 1.8% abamectin emulsifiable concentrate (EC), 30–40 mL/667 m² — the classic macrocyclic lactone among the group-6 options.
Note the pattern for rotation planning: three of the four contain emamectin or abamectin — both IRAC group 6 — so a season of DBM spraying should deliberately insert the non-group-6 options rather than stack one mixture after another.
Beet Armyworm: Two Options
- 12% chlorfenapyr + lufenuron SC, 25–42 g/667 m² — chlorfenapyr (IRAC 13) on the mobile stages plus lufenuron (IRAC 15) on eggs and young larvae.
- 3.2% emamectin + beta-cypermethrin micro-emulsion (ME), 40–60 mL/667 m² — knockdown plus residual in a microemulsion, for cluster-feeding outbreaks.
Cabbage Worm and Secondary Lepidoptera: Pyrethroids
For cabbage worm and general chewing pressure, two pyrethroids carry the fast-knockdown role: beta-cypermethrin 4.5% EC at 30–40 mL/667 m² (also registered on pod borers in cowpea) and lambda-cyhalothrin 25 g/L EC at 30–40 mL/667 m². Pyrethroids are IRAC group 3A — effective, but among the easiest groups to overuse. Cap the number of applications per season and keep them out of consecutive generations.
Two Disease Windows
Downy Mildew on Chinese Kale and Broccoli
Downy mildew rides in with warm days, cool nights and leaf wetness. The Chinese label registers 60% pyraclostrobin + metiram WDG at 50–60 g/667 m² on Chinese kale and broccoli downy mildew — a QoI (FRAC 11) plus multi-site (FRAC M) mixture whose metiram fraction provides the protective base. Start sprays ahead of the first warm-humid spell rather than after symptoms spread; protectant-led coverage is the whole logic of the mixture.
Black Rot on Chinese Cabbage
Black rot is bacterial, spread by seed, splash and tools — no chemistry cures it once it is in the vascular system. The registered tool is kasugamycin 6% wettable powder (WP) at 25–40 g/667 m², an antibiotic bactericide used preventively around wet periods, layered on seed health and sanitation.
Season Program at a Glance
| Crop window | Target | Product | Chinese label rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetative | Diamondback moth | Emamectin benzoate 5% WDG | 3–4 g/667 m² |
| Vegetative | DBM under high pressure | 11.6% emamectin + chlorantraniliprole SC | 5–10 mL/667 m² |
| Pre-heading | Beet armyworm | 12% chlorfenapyr + lufenuron SC | 25–42 g/667 m² |
| Heading | Downy mildew (kale/broccoli) | 60% pyraclostrobin + metiram WDG | 50–60 g/667 m² |
| Heading, wet spell | Black rot (Chinese cabbage) | Kasugamycin 6% WP | 25–40 g/667 m² |
| As needed | Cabbage worm | Beta-cypermethrin 4.5% EC | 30–40 mL/667 m² |
Windows above are typical program positions, not label claims; the label of your destination market defines crops, pests and doses.
Rotation and IPM Notes
Rotation across IRAC and FRAC groups is the program’s spine: no group twice within the same pest generation, and a season cap per group. Biologicals can slot in as rotation partners — Beauveria bassiana 200 bn spores/g oil dispersion (OD) is registered on diamondback moth at 15–20 mL/667 m² on the Chinese label. Larval scouting and treating young larvae rather than late instars will do more for control quality than any rate increase.
Sourcing and OEM Notes
Bainong Sida holds 70 ICAMA registrations with about 60 pending, releases each batch against the registration standard by HPLC/GC, and packs OEM orders across more than eight formulation types, 10 mL–40 kg. The insecticide and acaricide line is in the insecticides catalogue, the disease line in the fungicide catalogue; for samples, documents or private-label packing, contact the export team.
FAQ
How do you control diamondback moth effectively?
Rotate unrelated IRAC groups generation by generation, treat young larvae found by scouting, and use mixtures as widening tools rather than repeat tools. On Bainong Sida’s Chinese labels the registered options are emamectin benzoate 5% WDG (3–4 g/667 m²), 11.6% emamectin + chlorantraniliprole SC (5–10 mL/667 m²), 11.8% emamectin + chlorfenapyr SC (20–40 mL/667 m²) and 1.8% abamectin EC (30–40 mL/667 m²). Follow the destination-market label.
What is the best treatment for beet armyworm in cabbage?
The Chinese labels register 12% chlorfenapyr + lufenuron SC at 25–42 g/667 m² — covering mobile stages and eggs — and 3.2% emamectin + beta-cypermethrin ME at 40–60 mL/667 m² for cluster-feeding outbreaks. Timing against young, clustered larvae decides the result.
How do you treat downy mildew on broccoli and Chinese kale?
Preventively, ahead of warm-humid weather: 60% pyraclostrobin + metiram WDG at 50–60 g/667 m² on the Chinese label, where the multi-site metiram fraction carries the protective base and rotation-friendly structure. Once lesions spread, protectant coverage of new growth is the remaining play — curative promises are not realistic with downy mildews.
Can black rot in Chinese cabbage be cured?
No — once the bacterium enters the vascular system there is no curative chemistry. The registered kasugamycin 6% WP (25–40 g/667 m²) works preventively around wet periods, alongside clean seed, sanitation and splash-limiting irrigation. Always follow the destination-market label.
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