What the Sil Matrix Registration Actually Covers
Three registrations in one product is unusual, so it is worth being precise about the claims. The EPA label covers it as a fungicide, a miticide and an insecticide under registration number 70051-127. The active ingredient is potassium silicate at 29 percent, with other ingredients making up 71 percent. The signal word is CAUTION, re-entry is four hours, and it may be applied up to the day of harvest. On the disease side the label names powdery mildew and gray mold rot on blueberry. Suppression claims cover Asian soybean rust, plus gray leaf spot, brown patch, dollar spot and snow mold on turf. On the pest side it names spider mites, aphids and whiteflies. It is OMRI Listed for organic production.
How a Potassium Silicate Spray Does Two Jobs
The mechanism explains why one material covers both columns. Applied to foliage before infection, the silicon is taken into the plant cuticle and builds a mineral matrix inside the leaf surface. A fungus trying to push a penetration peg through that surface meets a harder barrier than it would on an untreated leaf. As the spray dries, residual silicate crystallises on the outside as well. That physical deposit is what disrupts soft bodied mites and insects on contact. Two consequences follow from that mechanism. Preventative timing matters far more than curative timing on the disease side, because a barrier built after infection protects nothing. And coverage matters on the pest side, since a contact deposit only works where the spray landed. The rate is 1 to 4 quarts per 100 gallons, which is a 0.25 to 1 percent solution. Certis ask for a jar test before tank mixing and a phytotoxicity trial watched for seven to ten days.
Key Features
- Registration: One EPA number, 70051-127, covering fungicide, miticide and insecticide
- Active ingredient: Potassium silicate at 29 percent, with 71 percent other
- Signal word: CAUTION, with a four hour re-entry interval
- Harvest interval: Zero days, so it can go on up to the day of picking
- Diseases: Powdery mildew and gray mold rot, plus turf disease suppression
- Pests: Spider mites, aphids and whiteflies, on contact
- Mechanism: Silicon builds into the cuticle, and residue crystallises on top
- Rate: One to four quarts per 100 gallons, a 0.25 to 1 percent solution
- Organic status: OMRI Listed for organic production
- Before spraying: Jar test any tank mix and trial for phytotoxicity first
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| SKU | INSSILM2.5G |
| Brand | Certis Biologicals |
| Pack size | 2.5 gallons |
| Active ingredient | Potassium silicate |
| Active percentage | 29 percent |
| Other ingredients | 71 percent |
| EPA registration number | 70051-127 |
| Registered as | Fungicide, miticide and insecticide |
| Signal word | CAUTION |
| Restricted entry interval | 4 hours |
| Pre-harvest interval | 0 days |
| Label rate | 1 to 4 quarts per 100 gallons, or 0.25 to 1 percent |
| Diseases named | Powdery mildew, gray mold rot on blueberry |
| Suppression claims | Asian soybean rust, gray leaf spot, brown patch, dollar spot, snow mold |
| Pests named | Spider mites, aphids, whiteflies |
| Organic status | OMRI Listed |
| Compatibility | Run a jar test before committing a whole tank |
| Barcode | None on file and none confirmed, so the field was left empty |