With the arrival of June, the green light for the pest Tripsparvispinus has appeared to increase its presence on greenhouse fruit and vegetable crops. This pest has already been visible since April, particularly on cucumber and pepper crops, where it can cause serious damage to both the plant and the fruit. Now, the rise in daytime temperatures and the drop in the level of environmental humidity are factors that encourage a fast development of this pest.
As a first step, Koppert recommends achieving an effective biological control of the Tripsparvispinus, intensifying the releases of Oriuslaevigatus (THRIPOR-L) as soon as possible, aimed at allowing this natural enemy of the Trips to exercise a shock effect against the spike in pests. In flowering crops, Orius must be introduced in an adult phase. If the biological control strategy is going to be developed on non-flowering crops, Orius should be introduced in its pupa phase, but always backed up by ENTOFOOD (eggs of Ephestiakuehniella and Artemiaspp.), as additional food.
Reinforcement with mites
It is important to complement the releases of Orius with the introduction of mites. In the aerial part of the plant, it is advisable to carry out releases of SWIRSKI-ULTIMITE (Amblyseiusswirskii), while it is recommendable to release the predator mite MACRO-MITE (Macrochelesrobustulus) in the soil, which feeds on the Trips pupas, as well as on the eggs and pupas of sciarid fly (Sciaridae).
The releases of natural enemies must be complemented with a correct mass trapping strategy and monitoring of the pest, using the emplacement of blue HORIVER traps, at different heights.
Koppert: allied with nature
“We ally ourselves with nature to find cultivation methods that are safe, healthy and sustainable.” At Koppert they have been promoting agricultural innovation for the past 50 years. The company’s holistic approach makes them stand out: improving plant health both above and below ground. “All our solutions promote a single goal: 100% sustainable farming.”
