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Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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Posted by kathy_george z6b? Maryland (My Page) on Wed, Oct 28, 09 at 20:20
| Does anyone have much experience with Messenger from Cornell? I have a friend with only 5 rosebushes who wants to use as few chemicals as possible.
People with many rosebushes said in the past that Messenger was too expensive. I tried Messenger several years ago and it clogged my sprayer, so it was easier to use Lime Sulfur in February and then the old chemicals I had on hand. Any new news?
Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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When I saw your other thread, I thought Messenger, probably because of the clogging.
Messenger was removed from the market this past spring. The producer decided to pull it and I haven't heard of any reappearances. |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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| That's a shame. An organic replacement for fungicide/insecticide would have been a wonderful product. I wonder if Cornell or the company has any future plans? |
Rosemania might know something
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| You might want to contact Rosemania, as they are the first I heard from about the removal. Robbie et al. there might know if it were going to be available again. |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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| It was discovered at Cornell, but had been marketed by Eden Bioscience, which has stopped selling and manufacturing the product. It didn't market itself as a fungicide, the Harpin protein is something that would help a plant's resistance to disease, kind of like a vaccine. Not an insecticide. I still have a couple of packets, I meant to do some kind of control this year, but didn't get around to it. When I did use it, I didn't see much difference, but I wasn't diligent in application. |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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| info on harpin http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/Myths/Harpin.pdf |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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| I used Messenger regularly and did see some difference. It is too bad that the product is no longer available. When combined with my spraying program, I saw about a 90% drop in blackspotting, and if there was any, it wasn't severe enough to cause the plant much grief. I also saw some increased growth on my tomatoes. Messenger in itself was not a curative, but it did seem to help the plant's disease resistance enough to either prevent the disease or minimize its effects. |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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- Posted by jayk 8b (My Page) on
Fri, Oct 30, 09 at 23:33
| I tested it out on many varieties of roses several years ago and found no difference in disease severity or incidence between treated blocks and untreated. Just my experience in the PNW. |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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- Posted by jont1 Midwest 5b/6a (My Page) on
Wed, Nov 4, 09 at 2:49
I use Messenger religiously every month and I can truly tell a huge difference in the appearance of the overall bush and flowers and in general health and vitality of my roses. The foliage is greener, larger, and shinier. The blooms are larger and more colorful. And most important of all is that the roses are much healthier going into winter and I rarely lose any roses to winter.
It is really sad that they have quit making it. I bought quite alot and I am going to stretch the spraying to every six weeks next year to keep it going longer. I am hoping that somebody will pick up the trail and start producing it for Eden Bioscience again. I think it is a wonderful product and well worth what I pay for it.
JOhn |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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| Thanks Jim for the information on Harpin. Thank you John for your anecdotal evidence that Messenger works. For many people it is hard to stick to a schedule to perform a good test of efficacy. I also hope someone picks up production again, as for my friend with four rosebushes who wants to grow them organic, without chemicals, I think it would be ideal. Plus for some people with bigger gardens, too! Kathy |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell - difficult to prove eff
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| HI folks - Read Jim 1961's link. It is by a Washington State Univ. professor who says the hope and hype got in front of the evidence, for she reviewed all testing sources and they produced about no proof that harpin works in he field. The protein infiltrates plant tissues in the lab, but does not do much in the field. This is a shame. Perhaps this is part of why the product was pulled. Kathy |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell - new owner
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| A company named Plant Health Care bought the harpin technology from Eden BioScience. They seem to sell it mixed with fertilizer or as its own product. They also seem to have performed testing on crops and found improved yields. See http://www.planthealthcare.com/Ag/CropsResults/RowCrops/Corn Perhaps roses are too small a market for PHC? |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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- Posted by jont1 Midwest 5b/6a (My Page) on
Wed, Nov 4, 09 at 21:38
Well, I don't know what tests they ran, but I know that my roses are better plants with Messenger than without it. So if it becomes available again and is still as effective I will continue to use it.
I think it is a pretty reasonable cost for the good I get out of it. It is certainly cheaper than most of the other fertilizers and supplements that are advertised as miracle workers these days. I have tried many that made no difference at all or aome--Liquid Karma--that did more harm than good on my roses.
Just my two cents...
John |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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| I tried it on 5 own root Lagerfeld, 2 summers ago, all in a row, same ground, sun, fertilizer, etc., except one plant got Messenger all summer. I saw no difference at all in growth, bloom, or blackspot resistance. At one point, the plant sprayed with Messenger had BS when the other 4 had none or very little. In my garden, anyway, I think it is snake oil. Donna |
RE: Messenger rose enhancer from Cornell
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| MIxed results for rose people. For some it works, and for others it does not. |
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