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

decided to find a balance between both approaches. This way of working allows him to gain experience in using biological crop protection . As a result, he acquires [...] consumers eat are safe. Future of biological crop protection Koen advocates for a cautious approach, carefully examining effectiveness when it comes to [...] acquires a lot of knowledge and is prepared to fully transition to biological crop protection when the government decides that certain traditional methods

A dive into organic hop farming and biological crop protection

using beneficial insects mark a significant advancement in the toolkit for organic farming. He envisions this approach as a crucial building block for the [...] Embracing change Lukas Locher, a fourth-generation hop grower, started his transformative journey in 2020, making the exciting yet challenging shift to [...] witnessed a boost in confidence in the ecosystem of his hop farm. These natural enemies contribute to more balanced and targeted pest management, with a specific

May beetle

from the Scarabaeidae family, and are plant-eating species from the Melolonthinae subfamily. Although this subfamily contains a number of species which [...] the most aggressive. In early spring they either start feeding again or when the larvae are fully grown a kind of earthern cell is created in the ground [...] es between the adults and larvae of this genus, they are usually treated as a single group, sharing similar habits and biology. The larval stages of these

Chafers

and the larvae start to feed on roots. The larvae are white-coloured, C-shaped grubs, with a yellow-brown head, and up to 30 mm long when fully grown. Larval [...] beetles of the Scarabaeidae family. The larvae of both species live in the soil and feed on the roots of many plants. They are a serious pest that can cause [...] damage is often caused by birds and small mammals digging for the grubs to eat them. Life cycle and appearance of Chafers Adult Amphimallon sostitialis are

Tomato looper

xis chalcites) is primarily a foliage feeder but it also attacks fruits such as tomato and sweet pepper. Older instars eat through the leaves, which make [...] The caterpillar passes through 6 instars. It has a green head capsule and a yellowish-green body with a clear yellow longitudinal stripe on either side [...] tomato fruit, often in a bunch of ripening tomatoes, however, it can also be found in the soil. The pupa has a pale green body, with a dark brown ventral dorsal

Chrysoperla carnea

known as the green lacewing, is a beneficial insect used in agriculture as a natural predator of various pest insects. It belongs to the family Chrysopidae [...] different life stages of the green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea , when using it as a biocontrol product by observing its distinct physical characteristics [...] that are harmful to plants. In agriculture, Chrysoperla carnea i s employed as a biological control agent to manage pest populations. The larvae of green

Spidex Vital: Your Vital partner in spider mite control

products for our growers. As the result of many years of research and fine-tuning, Spidex is now delivered in a new formulation; with a greater impact on spider [...] predatory mites have an energetic start and are better capable of travelling the given distance. In a bottle of Spidex Vital a more diverse population composition [...] Vital already have enough energy to develop their eggs. As a result they immediately can start laying eggs after release and don’t needs to get energy

Orius insidiosus

Orius insidiosus is a generalist predator but has a preference for thrips . In addition, it feeds on a variety of small arthropods such as whiteflies , aphids [...] thrips density and should always be adjusted to the situation. Start introduction as soon as the first thrips are detected in the crop. Introduction rates [...] length. They have a black or dark brown body with white markings on their wings. The wings lie flat over their backs when at rest, displaying a characteristic

American serpentine leaf miner

destroyed as a result of the direct damage caused by leaf miners. In gerbera, the larva of the American serpentine leaf miner (Liriomyza trifolii) eats its way [...] burning in fruit such as tomato and melon. Loss of leaves also reduces yield. In full-grown plants of fruiting vegetable crops, however, a considerable quantity [...] American serpentine leaf miner The life cycle of a leaf miner has the following stages: egg, three larval instars, a pupal instar and the adult fly. Adult leaf

Encarsia formosa

that the pupa develops freely within the host pupa. When the parasitic wasp is fully grown, it eats a round hole in the pupal cuticle. It takes several hours [...] is approximately 0.6 mm long, with a head that is dark brown to black in colour, a dark brown to black thorax, and a yellow abdomen. The male is entirely [...] the parasitic wasp Encarsia formosa Encarsia formosa is a parasitic wasp belonging to the family Aphelinidae , widely recognized for its role in biological