Soil Injection – Phased Out for Environmental Reasons
Elmsavers has phased out the use of soil injection treatments in favour of more eco-friendly solutions.
About Soil Injection
Soil injection involves injecting an insecticidal solution around the root zone of the tree, and is carried out from May until October potentially to achieve two years protection targeted at the canopy.
The treatment may take up to ten weeks before complete uptake occurs.
Read more about soil injection – and our comparison to tree injection.
Why does Elmsavers prefer tree injection to soil injection?
Tree injection is designed to protect against damage & defoliation for two or more years, and is ideal for all situations, whereas overly wet or dry conditions and water restrictions will significantly limit the success of soil injection.
Furthermore, trunk-injected trees have a higher level of active ingredient available in the canopy, ensuring a superior level of control compared to soil injection, while chemistries are highly stable within the tree as compared to soil injection.
Soil injection failure can result in stressed trees that have severe larval damage. The soil-injected insecticides may damage the soil, micro flora and also kill earthworms at levels as low as 4ppm.
Tree injection will not kill earthworms and other beneficial soil invertebrates, nor will it affect soil biology by harming beneficial soil fungi essential for nutrient uptake.
Tree injection also will not contaminate pasture and affect livestock residues; the maximum Imidacloprid residue limit is 1ppm for pasture and fodder.
For further information, please refer to the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) document: “Pesticide risk profile for the grazing of pasture and/or cutting of hay and feeding to cattle and sheep.” – February 2010 (page 33)
Soil injection is damaging to the environment. Find out more here.
