• What is Biological Control?

  September 15, 2020

  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 [...] enemies were not available, it became a worldwide pest. In 1888, the lady beetle, Rodolia cardinalis , was collected in Australia and introduced in 57 countries [...] against pests and diseases. Vast amounts of pesticides were sprayed before people became aware of the adverse effects on both their health and the environment

• Red Headed Flea Beetle Eradication Described in April 2025 GrowerTalks Issue

  April 1, 2025

  1937. Growers and propagators turn to it to learn about the newest standards and practices, including those for biological programs and integrated pest [...] ornamentals , and a surprising discovery involving nematodes and cranberries. Jeremy goes into detail regarding the subsequent trials, and paints a picture [...] to be done with respect to rate, location, timing, and application methods of the biosolution. It’s an interesting behind the scenes look into the journey

• Creating a Cleaner Safer Berry

  August 18, 2021

  useful back-up as it is less sensitive to chemicals, tolerates a lower humidity and has the ability to feed on multiple pests such as thrips and cyclamen mite [...] controlling concentrated spider mite colonies and stopping an outbreak of the pest before it occurs. Aphid and thrips control is accomplished primarily through [...] products and disperse them with great accuracy and efficacy over 8 hectares in the space of an hour. The high-tech release system was designed and developed

• Tackling Thrips is Always a Puzzle

  August 18, 2021

  insect, and there are various species. These days, the western flower thrips causes the most problems. It pricks cells on the surface of leaves and flowers [...] various natural enemies – particularly predatory mites and bugs – supported by non-chemical products. It's not yet completely clear why such large differences [...] flowers and sucks them dry. This causes silver-grey spots on the leaves, which are very characteristic of thrips. Brown dots can often be seen on flowers. The

• Spical predatory mite: a true all-rounder

  December 13, 2022

  Tetranychus urticae , the two-spotted spider mite – and the predatory mite in Spical goes mad for it! You can call on the help of these predatory mites [...] vegetables (in the greenhouse and outdoors), cut flowers, potted plants, ornamental shrubs, broad beans, soft fruit, and woody fruit crops, such as citrus [...] spider mites with predatory bugs and gall midges. What's right for you Don't forget: IPM is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It depends on the crop, the climate

• Unveiling new packaging designs for Horiver sticky trap portfolio

  January 8, 2024

  rebranding of our natural enemies, microorganisms, and pollination products during the first half of 2023, it is now our sticky trap product range that will [...] adopted products in the Horiver range are sticky cards and Rollertraps. Horiver sticky cards make it possible to detect pests at an early stage, to then tackle [...] Moreover, by regularly conducting counts, it becomes clear when pests enter the greenhouse, how they develop, and when a population will peak. In this way

• Prevent internal spider mite contamination

  December 13, 2022

  new crop, and so on. Not to worry – there are several ways to minimize the internal contamination risks. Spider mite occurs in hotspots, and it’s important [...] important to uncover its hiding places as promptly as possible. If you take the right measures in these hotspots, you can prevent the infestation from spreading [...] spreading to the rest of your organization. It’s only likely to be a real challenge when the infestation is really bad. However, the following guidelines can

• Release Spical predatory mites as soon as possible!

  February 2, 2023

  consume little energy, and have a comfortable journey. On arrival at your farm, they will warm up again and become active. Be quick It’s important to release [...] enemies are extremely useful and effective, but they have one major drawback: they have a short lifespan. That’s why it’s important to release them into [...] your crop as soon as possible after receipt so they can complete their task and reproduce. During transport, we keep the temperature as low as possible to

• New Sachet Improves Spider Mite Control

  November 1, 2018

  emerging from it. The sachet is narrower and slightly longer and gives the mites the very best conditions to develop even more swiftly and strongly. Spical [...] outdoor crops such as citrus and grapes. With the introduction of Spical Ulti-Mite, Koppert aims for more security for both grower and crop. Fully compostable [...] Koppert Biological Systems has reinforced the hook from which it can be attached to make it even more robust. Launch of Spical Ulti-Mite at the IFTF Spical

• Botrytis: ten must-knows

  November 15, 2021

  fungus has also changed its name and is now officially called Botryotinia fuckeliana . Other Botrytis species are fussier and more specialized. Botrytis [...] Botrytis is an above-ground fungus, and there are many species. The fungus is found all over the world and can infect a wide variety of plants. If conditions [...] pollen tube, kills them, and feeds on the contents of these dead cells. Botrytis loves soft plant parts, such as soft fruit, petals, and lush leaves. Crops with