2/23/2026 - By Dr. Aaron Palmateer

Most would argue that ornamental nursery production in Homestead, FL (Miami-Dade County) is the toughest place on the planet to grow plants. That's because of the never-ending pests and disease pressure. The subtropical climate provides hot, humid conditions year-round, making it a great location for producing a wide range of ornamentals, especially foliage plants.

However, these conditions, along with the drier winter climate, are highly favorable for insect pests and mites. Most recently, the introduction of Thrips parvispinus, which attacks over 40 plant species across 19 plant families, has posed a tremendous challenge. The pest feeds on the leaves, buds, and flowers of some of South Florida's most economically important plants, including Mandevilla and Gardenia.

Growers have struggled to keep thrips pressure under control, with some going to the lengths of using hand labor to deflower plants to reduce and manage thrips pressure. This pest management approach is neither economical nor sustainable. The industry needs a solution, and I believe we've found it with Vykenda™ Insecticide/Miticide.

The Impact of Vykenda™

The control of thrips and mites with Vykenda™ Insecticide/Miticide has been nothing short of exceptional. For example, scouting reports from a planting of cat palms (Chamardorea cataractarum) indicated moderate pressure from both pepper thrips (Thrips parvispinus) and two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) when plants were sprayed with a single application of Vykenda™ at 5 fl oz/100.

The application was added as a single treatment to the growers' existing spray program. Within a week, the populations of both thrips and mites were reduced to zero at all life stages. Scouting reports indicated that the plants treated with Vykenda™ remained pest-free for over 12 weeks, with populations remaining lower than on untreated plants.

I can't help but get excited about growers having this new tool in their rotation program. I've never seen this length of residual control on both thrips and mites from a contact insecticide. The closest product is Pylon (chlorfenapyr), but it cannot be used in outdoor nurseries, which is another reason to be excited about Vykenda™.

I've tested it on several foliage plants, including palms, alocasia, croton, cordyline, and Mandevilla, all of which have been tolerant of sprays of Vykenda™ with and without a nonionic surfactant. I've tested it with Capsil® and several of Harrell's proprietary adjuvants, including Harrell’s SprayMAX® Nonionic Penetrant Plus, Harrell’s HydroMAX® Fleet® 100, and Harrell’s HydroMAX® Surface Rx™, all of which have helped spray coverage and adhesion to the plant surface.

How Vykenda™ Works

The common name of the chemical that makes up the active ingredient in Vykenda™ is Isocycloseram, also known as Plinazolin® technology, and it will be labeled for indoor- and outdoor-grown ornamentals, vegetables, fruits, and nut trees grown for resale.

Vykenda™ offers growers a new, non-systemic, effective, and efficient option to control a broad range of economically important pests across many situations, while supporting IPM strategies and aiding resistance management. The active ingredient Isocycloseram belongs to IRAC Group 30 and will be the first Group 30 insecticide for ornamental use, providing a new mode of action for resistance management.

There is no known resistance or cross-resistance to Isocycloseram, and therefore it is particularly valuable for insecticide resistance management because it introduces diversity into pest control programs. This is critically important now, where we have seen extreme pressure from thrips and mites. Vykenda™ will help growers extend the effective lifespan of insecticides in their rotation programs.

Vykenda™ and Your Program

Vykenda™ fits well into an IPM program, offering flexibility in application timing and strong efficacy against key pests. Isocycloseram's broad-spectrum activity can improve efficiency for the grower by controlling multiple pests in a complex, thereby reducing the need for tank-mixing or the frequency of applications. Isocycloseram is highly effective, both by contact and by ingestion, to quickly stop feeding.

The development of novel chemistry reinforces Syngenta's commitment to innovation and to delivering new solutions for the industry and its customers. For pests like mites, Isocycloseram offers low use rates against several genera and multiple species, long residual ovicidal activity, and activity against resistant populations.

Vykenda™ insecticide controls thrips, mites, leafminers, flea beetles, and worms. The product is not systemic but kills all stages of mites, including eggs. Research and demonstration trials evaluating Vykenda™ in Miami-Dade County, Florida, have proven this, and growers who have participated in these trials are desperate for Vykenda™ to be available for purchase.

Vykenda™ insecticide received Federal registration in November 2025.

Connect with your Harrell’s rep

If you would like to learn more about Vykenda™ and when you might be able to start using it in your program, connect with your Harrell’s rep. They are your best resource for the latest product innovations and recommendations to increase the efficacy of your operation.