• Caterpillars: a growth explosion in the life of butterflies and moths

  June 30, 2023

  no longer possible to salvage it. As the caterpillars eat more, they grow out of their skins. The number of times the caterpillar sheds its skin can vary [...] movements of the abdomen, the butterfly uses its bodily fluids to ‘fill up’ the wing veins. This process lasts about ten to twenty minutes. The wings will [...] appearance. The skin is wrinkled at the beginning but splits over time and reveals the shiny cuticle. A pupa doesn’t eat or move except for a small part of its

• In Search of the Relationship Between NatuGro and Nitrogen Release

  February 18, 2020

  Trianum at the start of the cultivation cycle and after every subsequent eight-week period. They are also treated with Vidi Parva at the start of the cultivation [...] made on the basis of statistics. Resilient cropping with NatuGro ‘In the end, the key question is how we can further improve the development of resilient [...] One of the effects of NatuGro is increased absorption of nutrients, including nitrogen. However, plants can also absorb too much of this element and become

• Towards a chemical-free future in agriculture: The vision of grower Koen

  farming marks the path to the future. "You grow into it a bit," notes Koen. With the growing availability of knowledge and the number of biological crop [...] a conscious choice. Inheriting the farm from his parents, Koen had the opportunity to continue the business. While the trend towards organic farming was [...] difference at all, especially due to the rapid increase in effective organic methods." Limitation in use of chemical pesticides The increasing interest, especially

• The cost-saving potential of biological crop protection for your IPM strategy

  February 20, 2025

  Biocontrol, on the other hand, often requires less frequent intervention once established. An example of this is the use of a combination of the Orius predatory [...] optimization frameworks all lend to evaluating the efficient use of resources. A significant portion of the current research on biocontrol assessment relies [...] studies, value is defined as the savings achieved by not utilizing other pest and disease management methods. Cost-saving advantages of biocontrol Cost savings

• An unexpected solution: the story of Fernando Rodríguez and Koppert's predatory mites

  March 17, 2025

  cultivation in the region, instilled in him from the value of hard work, but also warned him about the challenges of the industry. Despite the difficulties [...] efficiently implement the use of these beneficial organisms. "The Koppert team helped me understand the life cycles of the predatory mites, the optimal times to [...] adapting to the dynamics of pests and their natural predators. "One of the most fascinating aspects of predatory mites is their adaptability. When the pest

• Koppert Announces the Promotion of Jeremy Sinift to Hydroponic Crop Team Manager

  September 10, 2020

  to effectively respond to the demands of today and of the future. Koppert’s ability to work closely with growers gives the grower access to information [...] decade of greenhouse experience, adding his expertise to an already impressive team of hydroponic technical support specialists here in the US. The hydro [...] Announce the Promotion of Jeremy Sinift to Crop Team Manager, Servicing U.S. Hydroponic Vegetable Clients! Howell, MI, September 9, 2020 – With the recent

• Flowering and Pollination – One of the Most Critical Blueberry Growth Stages

  May 30, 2022

  critical periods in the blueberry growth-cycle. The first is bud initiation in the autumn. Before the plant goes into dormancy, the plant is ‘deciding’ [...] and which buds generative. The more energy the plant has, the more generative buds are initiated. The generative buds are the ones that produce flowers [...] growth in the late summer/early autumn will limit the number of generative buds, and, consequently, the yield. Second stage: flowering Flowering is the second

• Spot the caterpillar!

  June 28, 2023

  types of species and sizes. Some stand out from the foliage, but most are the same color as the plant from which they live. They’re also masters of hide-and-seek [...] squirm and quickly lower themselves down to the ground on a thread of their own silk. The caterpillars of Tuta absoluta ( tomato leaf miner ) like to hide [...] legs and up to five pairs of false legs (prolegs). The prolegs have small hooks that the caterpillar uses to hold onto the plant. Not sure which caterpillar

• Black leg of seedlings

  infection is the easy stripping of the skin from the root cortex with a finger nail. Life cycle and appearance of Black leg of seedlings Pythium belongs to [...] bulbs. At first, the plants recover during the night, but later the plants wilt irreversibly. In potted plants the flower buds fall off. The side roots rot [...] and very little of the root system survives. On the border between air and soil or substrate the plant turns brown. A typical symptom of a Pythium infection

• Downy mildew of Cucurbits

  brown. On the underside of the leave fluffy growth appears which is first white and later turns grey-brown. This is actually the sporulation of the pathogens [...] For most downy mildews, the optimum temperature is around 15 o C and the closer the temperature is to this, the shorter the leaf wetness period that is [...] Inside the plant, the pathogens produce haustoria, small organs with which the pathogen can take up nutrients from the living plant cells. The pathogens