• What is Biological Control?

  September 15, 2020

  greenhouse vegetable growers began to realize this was not the way to continue and introduced the use of natural enemies to control pests. Since greenhouse [...] or they are not effective enough to keep the balance. These organisms then become pests which need to be controlled to prevent damage. Native organisms [...] agriculture and, for centuries, it was the only way to control pests. Natural enemies were collected from the original source of the pest and released in

• Keep Them Cool!

  August 10, 2021

  Bumblebees need to keep a cool head to be able to function optimally and carry out their valuable pollination work. ‘We go a long way to ensure that growers [...] best practice is to help the colonies to keep cool during the hottest times of the day and allow them to pollinate in the early morning and evening. As long [...] growers have the best colonies of pollinators and that they reach their destination in optimal condition and ready to carry out their work’, says Remco Huvermann

• Municipality Enschede: Entonem nematodes against oak processionary caterpillar

  summer, to help it to determine how many oak processionary caterpillar moths were still present in areas where different management methods have been used [...] used. ‘With that information, and based on the nuisance that we experience, we’ll be able to decide whether to expand the use of nematodes in following [...] Enschede started using nematodes for the first time in the spring of 2021 to try to halt the spread of the oak processionary caterpillar. The municipality’s

• Advanced biocontrol of spider mite with Spidex Vital

  February 3, 2021

  leaves and proof of predation by Spidex Vital mites. Thanks to Koppert’s continuous R&D drive and upgraded production process, both quality and supply [...] supply have now been enhanced and secured. "Predatory mites have an energetic start," says Koppert Product Manager Tim Bossinga. "The females already have enough [...] energy to develop their eggs and can immediately start laying their eggs on release. Formerly, they first needed to feed in the field in order to develop

• Shore fly

  black, about 4 to 5 mm long, and stout with short antennae and short legs. The head of the adult has a pair of conspicuous eyes. The wings have grey-brown [...] diseases and can be a nuisance to greenhouse works by their sheer numbers. Frass deposited on leaves or flowers in ornamental crops, lettuce and herbs also [...] cosmetic damage, and sometimes this can occur on such a scale that growth, particularly of young cuttings, can be retarded. Life cycle and appearance of Shore

• Biodiversity: Research into our positive impact on nature

  May 22, 2022

  in order to prove the overall positive impact our solutions have is complex as nature is unpredictable and responds differently at different locations [...] including the Biodiversity Strategy and the Farm to Fork, are aimed at a reduction of nitrogen and pesticides by 50% and working towards 25% organic farming [...] locations, soils, crops and years. Nevertheless, it is important for us to show to our stakeholders the positive impact our solutions have on biodiversity. ‘Once

• Successful biocontrol in potatoes

  August 3, 2023

  registration to introduce this natural fungicide to potato producers in Central Europe for healthier plants and a more productive yield.' Trianum-P and -G are [...] pressure is often high and difficult to detect since it is a soilborne pest. Therefore, damage can start anytime, and nematodes need to be applied from planting [...] planting through to harvest. This means multiple applications – little and often.' Most of the chemical solutions for wireworms have been banned, and it has become

• Corn earworm

  feeding and descends onto the ground to bury itself around 10-12 cm deep. This prepupal stage takes one to two days. It then pupates for ten to fourteen [...] or three to five months in areas with very cold winters. The pupae measure around 18 mm and have a slightly shiny brown colour. The adults have a brown-coloured [...] with a wingspan of 35 to 40 mm and a dark stripe on the side edge of the forewings and hindwings; they live for around two and a half weeks.

• Cabbage looper

  attached to the leaf, and are a yellowish or greenish white colour. The Larvae hatch after 3 to 4 days. Since their legs are confined to the front and rear [...] the leaf. They have a voracious appetite and can daily consume up to three times their body weight. Plants can be severely defoliated and stunted. Life [...] underside of the host plants. The pupae have a green colour and then change to a coffee brown colour when close to adult emergence. Finally, the adult has

• Biosolutions for Propagation

  key in both wet and dry stages, due to the ever present nature of fungus gnats and shoreflies. Sticky cards and tape are essential to controlling the mobile [...] Koppert uses beneficial insects and biopesticides with a proven scientific track record to control pest problems and promote healthy new cutting tissue [...] After the inputs have rooted, the air dries out and the microenvironment changes. Koppert’s strategy adjusts accordingly, as each grower and facility handles