• Black rot of carrots

  and at a relative humidity (RH) of over 90% or when the leaves are wet. Small differences in optimum temperatures occur between species, but in general [...] propagation materials. Practice crop rotation, in particular when spores surviving in the soil are the main source of infection. Especially wheat and barley [...] General The only known stage in all Alternaria species is the asexual stage. Conidia and mycelium overwinter in the soil and on crop residues and cause

• Spidex Vital lives up to its promises

  somewhat less keen on it. Spidex Vital still has to prove itself in such dry conditions. I want to see what happens. However, it is a new product and Koppert [...] Vital has done what Sjaak van Dijk expected of it. A week after the first deliveries were released, he had a closer look at the crop. ‘It was clear that [...] three-hectare farm in Pijnacker, the Netherlands, the predatory mite has always been a reliable beneficial. ‘I use it to combat spider mite in combination with

• Beneficial Nematodes against Horticultural Pests

  person. If a specific pest is not mentioned in this document, it doesn’t necessarily mean it cannot be controlled by nematodes. Koppert is continuously [...] others. How does it work? After application, the nematodes set out in search of their prey. Once they have found a host insect, they penetrate its natural [...] chemical residues. In optimal circumstances it can entirely replace the use of chemicals. Koppert started producing nematodes in 1986. Many years of

• Tomato russet mite

  time in Australia and is a pest in tomatoes in all areas where they are grown. Other members of the plant family Solanaceae may be affected to a lesser [...] Affected stems turn a rusty brown colour, and in serious cases they may snap. The fruit can also be affected, and when this happens in tomatoes, the skin [...] Vasates destructor and Phyllocoptes destructor in older publications) belongs to the family Eriophyidae. It does not produce galls but lives freely (vagrant)

• Cabbage looper

  General Trichoplusia is not only a damaging pest in crucifers, their favourite host, it can also be found in crops such as tomato, pepper, some cucurbits [...] takes place in webbed cocoons often on the underside of the host plants. The pupae have a green colour and then change to a coffee brown colour when close to [...] can be serious is that the moth is able to disperse widely, reaching distances of up to 200 km. Damage symptoms The caterpillars feed mainly on the leaves

• European corn borer

  nubilali s), is a severe pest of maize and has also been reported to attack apple, strawberries, peppers and other plants. It is present in Europe, North [...] larvae pupate in situ in the galleries or in the soil. Fully grown larvae overwinter inside their tunnels in stubble, stalks and maize ears, or in wild plants [...] mm in diameter and white when first laid but later turn yellow. The black head of the larva can be seen just before hatching. The eggs are laid in a mass

• Tobacco aphid

  aphid Aphids have a complex life cycle, with both winged and wingless forms of adults and a great variety in colour. When reproduction is asexual, the young [...] ) probably evolved from the peach potato aphid in the Far East and is a key pest of tobacco crops in both the United States and South America. The tobacco [...] tobacco aphid ( Myzus persicae subsp. nicotianae ) is also encountered in a range of crops in greenhouses, such as sweet pepper, aubergine, chrysanthemum

• Caterpillars

  more about What are caterpillars? Caterpillars are the larvae of butterflies and moths. Butterflies and moths form the order Lepidoptera, a very large [...] most harmful caterpillars that occur in greenhouses belong to the Noctuidae (the noctuid or owl moths), which is the largest of all lepidopteran families [...] The caterpillars mostly pupate in the ground. Another family containing several species that damage greenhouse crops is the leafroller family, the Tortricidae

• Maximize pollination in tomato

  clustering more than three hives together. It is important to position the hives in such a way that the hive exits point in different directions, away from the [...] pollination activity. A single visit by a bumblebee is typically sufficient for successful pollination. Fruit setting occurs once a flower has been adequately [...] least once every two days. When the number of bite marks diminishes to only one or two per flower, it is advisable to introduce a new bumblebee hive. Temperature

• Lesser house fly

  maggot development. In extreme cases, large fly populations can even represent a public health concern for the communities surrounding a farm. Damage symptoms [...] they are considered a serious pest because: The males form swarms above the ground at head height inside barns and hen houses, making them a particularly [...] bodies and legs. When the flies mate, adult males will form swarms in areas with still air out of direct sunlight where they remain in flight as they wait