Where two year ago one to two per cent of the Calatheas were unsaleable due to spider mite and thrips , about no plants now go into the container . " You could say that we ’ve solved a problem by switch over to maximal biological manipulation , " explains Teun Valstar of Shadowplant of the revolution . The Airobug has been part of the resolution .
" Two years ago , we had our backs against the rampart . With the pesticides that we were allow to expend , we could n’t get wanderer hint and thripid under mastery . It was at that level that we adjudicate to try biologic methods , around twenty per centime of the plant tribute . That too proved short . We were throwing away one to two per centum of our plants , " explains Valstar .
Shadowplant cultivate four hectare of Calatheas in Honselersdijk . Around a after part of the arena is fitted with a WPS system , with the flora arise close together in channels . This is something of a challenge for pesticide , just as it is for biologic controls , since you ca n’t take the air between the toilet . It makes scouting more hard and makes it hard to disperse the beneficials from the path over the entire greenhouse .
Beneficials in the right hand placeThe solution seemed to be the Airobug , a ego - propelled blowing twist especially designed by Koppert Biological Systems ’ technical department for equally shell out biological controller through the greenhouse . The Airobug is fit with a elevator , take into account it to be suspend from the monorail at the top of the greenhouse . skunk of biological controls are attached to the twist and a fan blows the predatory mites out over the crops . The Airobug moves under its own power along the tubes through the greenhouse .
" As the Airobug is an in - house development , it has been contrive to be dependable for use with biological control condition . The beneficials are pass around out equally over the greenhouse and do n’t suffer when they are blown out , " explain Arthur Kalkman , consultant at Koppert Biological Systems .
Cold feet"If you spray , you see the perpetrator lying utter on their backs the next day . With biological command , you need to be prepare to hold off . This gives some pot plant cultivators moth-eaten feet when it comes to starting biological controls . We did n’t have the full of starts either . Two years ago , our ratio of biological control to pesticides was 20/80 , which did n’t help . With pesticides , we disturbed the Libra . Calatheas take 30 to 45 weeks to grow , and in that time we move them five time . Doing that merely spread out the flashpoints around , " explain Valstar . StrategyArthur Kalkman and Teun Valstar"When Valstar approached us two year ago , we started compiling a robust strategy – mapping the pest that cause the most pressure , what is happen with the plant in the grow process , and the most significant bottlenecks in fighting infestations . An exercise of this is thoroughly inventorizing the varieties that are most susceptible to spider mite . Calatheas are susceptible , but not all Calatheas equally , " explains Kalkman .
Virtually no pesticidesOnly a small percentage of the industrial plant protection now used is pesticide . Spider mite and thrips can be in full control with biological controls , namely Spidex and Swirski - Mite . " In the spring in finical , with bright sun and hint , and the foresightful warm summer , we ’d have had a real wanderer speck trouble . But now – nothing , " excuse Valstar .
" Duponchelia remains a challenge , but we ’re using Macro - mite . Shadowplant also practice lamps to arrest moths . ‘ In some location , we ’re using green impinging agents . Some infestation educate so quickly that you before long fall behind , " explains Valstar .
After last year ’s succeeder with wanderer mite and thripid , Shadowplant started using aphid controls in some sections in 2020 . It worked well , and the wrong threshold was only offend once . Shadowplant plans to jump aphid control earlier next spring , allowing the Aphidend crust midge and Aphipar parasitic wasp to do their job better .
overnice work"Our plants go to place such as IKEA , throughout Europe , and to large garden centre mountain chain . On occasion , we incur a complaint about a bug in a plant , but now I can explain that the microbe is essential . Yhat would not have been tolerated a few years ago , but toleration is growing , " explicate Valstar .
Employees who work on scout and apply the biologic ascendancy will before long be take away a three - day line at Koppert to help them recognize disease and plague more efficaciously , at an early stage , so that adequate treatment becomes even more executable .
" Aside from what client have been asking for , I was in person very eager to use fewer pesticide . It did n’t finger good , and let ’s face it – spraying is n’t decent work . You always spray in the eve , to protect staff . We do n’t need to do that now , you could use biologic controls in the daylight . "
trashy on balanceValstar continues , " biologic control are more expensive than pesticide . As the story of infestation is lower and there is more preventive work going on , we are taking a critical aspect at whether we can get by with less . It is costing me less on residue . If I calculate how many hours fewer I now have to spray and how many plant life we ’re not throwing away , this approach is more financially appropriate . "
For more information : Koppert Biological Systems[email protected]www.koppert.com
