Yes, as far-fetched as it sounds, a California company, Cal Crop, U.S.A. introduced a line of Spray Adjuvants containing garlic extract, as an insect repellent.

Cal Crop U.S.A. has been producing bio-rational products for the organic and commercial grower markets for six years and now they have launched three additives to enhance spray deposition and performance.

Tomahawk

An organic acidulant and buffering agent for lowering pH and is based on citric acid with calcium and garlic extract technology. It is really a "breath of fresh air" since it does not use corrosive mineral acids that can damage spray equipment.

All natural and "mix-friendly" by using citric acid, it gets away from those so-called "Yuppie" buffers and acidifiers that claim to change colors and do all sorts of other things while they are supposedly treating your spray water.

Invader

A non-ionic surfactant, is a unique blend of low foaming, slow drying and biodegradable surfactants formulated with garlic extracts for increased systemic performance. It can be used with herbicides, defoliants, desiccants, insecticides, fungicides, acaracides, plant growth regulators and nutritionals.

This makes it an all-purpose adjuvant, safe to use and with the added feature that it might even repel some insects!

Havoc

A blend of slow drying, penetrating methylated seed oil and organosilicone surfactants formulated with garlic extracts for increased systemic performance. Havoc's chemistry allows for enhanced wetting and systemic absorption of those products which labels recommend adding an adjuvant to improve performance.

Adding Havoc to the tank will result in a more uniform spray deposition as it physically modifies the wetting and spreading characteristics of the spray solution.

This is a targeted-use surfactant specifically designed for low application rates (2 to 20 gpa) where superior coverage, slow drying and good penetration is desired in low humidity and high temperature conditions. Recommended for both ground and aerial applications.

The addition of garlic extract to the surfactants is a good idea because it not only acts as an insect repellent, and you all know how much we need any help we can get in that area.

The HAVOC product looks especially attractive for use in hot weather because it is slow drying. One of the problems that we have with the regular organosilicone surfactants is that they tend to dry quickly in high temperatures and thus can contribute to poor absorption, reduced contact residual action and, the most feared of all, elevated phytotoxicity and burn.

This generally is not the case with surfactants based on fatty acids (Amway APSA 80) and mineral oils (Stylet, Sunspray, etc), as they tend to resist quick evaporation. However, extreme care must be exercised in hot weather because the oils will act as anti-transpirants and cause epidermial burn or other problems of the stomate and/or hydathodes.

But in the case of HAVOC, they have combined the two elements: an all-natural seed oil with organosilicones to give us a combination that is claimed to be relatively safe in high temperatures. (Florida, Texas, Caribbean and Central American vegetable growers, take note.)