For more than a century, petroleum-derived spray oils have been used to kill

susceptible pests, principalIy scales and wites through anoxia (suffocation). This

mode of action, and the use of oils as adjuvants, has severely limited their use alone

as biorational products in integrated crop management(ICM) programs. Significant

effects of oil deposits on arthropod behaviour, and opportunities for using products

to simultaneously control a range of pests and diseases, have been overlooked.

Recent research has demonstrated that the range of pests that can be controlled

through behavioural effects of contemporary products is far greater than the range

that can be controlled by anoxia. This research includes University of Western

Sydney and NSW Agriculture studies that indicated significant potential for use of

petroleum-derived spray oils (specifically horticultural and agricultural mineral oils)

to control Helicoverpa spp. in cotton and other crops.