MONcontrol, the key ally for cucumber crops in autumn
Agrobío, 30 October 2024
Agrobío, a leader in biological solutions for agriculture, is advancing its most comprehensive biological control strategy for cucumber crops, reinforcing its position as a benchmark in sustainable pest management.
This approach integrates natural predators, such as T. montdorensis (MONcontrol) and A. swirskii (SWIRScontrol), along with Orius and the feed supplement POWERmite 3.0, to provide complete and preventive thrips control from the start of cultivation, offering a significant advantage to farmers.
Agrobío’s strategy maximizes pest control efficacy by integrating predators and plants like Lobularia maritima. This management method enables effective thrips control through a dual action: PLANTAcontrol acts as a trap plant, attracting Frankliniella sp. to its pollen. Additionally, inoculating it with Orius optimizes predator establishment, reducing the risk of thrips colonizing shoot tips, thereby enhancing crop protection.
MONcontrol by Agrobío: the essential natural ally for autumn
Agrobío’s predators A. swirskii and the renowned T. montdorensis are essential for the control of thrips, whitefly, and spider mites. SWIRScontrol is particularly effective in summer conditions with adequate relative humidity, while MONcontrol is ideal for greenhouse environments in autumn and winter, where moderate temperatures and high humidity prevail. Together, these predators provide an effective year-round pest control solution.
To further enhance thrips control, Agrobío has made advances in the genetic improvement of Orius laevigatus, developing two innovative strains: ORIcontrol Cold and ORIcontrol Plus. The Cold strain stands out for its high predatory capacity and resilience to extreme temperatures, allowing for continuous thrips control year-round. The Plus strain survives longer in conditions of starvation or suboptimal diets like pollen, ensuring effective control in crops like cucumber, pepper, berries, and ornamentals.
POWERmite 3.0: a revolutionary feed for predator nutrition
Agrobío’s latest release, POWERmite 3.0, provides an optimized diet that strengthens the early establishment of predators such as Swirskii, Montdorensis, and Orius, enhancing their performance and efficiency in thrips control. This plant-applied feeding strategy, patented by Agrobío, enables early protection and minimizes crop damage caused by this pest.
Responding to new challenges: PHYTOplus
Although thrips have historically been the primary pest in cucumber cultivation, spider mites and aphids have gained importance recently. In response, Agrobío has developed innovative solutions that have been well-received by producers to address these emerging challenges.
When spider mites threaten crops, Agrobío employs PHYTOplus, an advanced version of Phytoseiulus persimilis, a predatory mite specialized in Tetranychus urticae. PHYTOplus offers effective and faster control, keeping spider mite hotspots in check through its innovative breeding system, which avoids generational skips.
Furthermore, as part of its integrated strategy, Agrobío uses Banker plants inoculated with cereal aphids, facilitating the introduction of parasitoids and predators such as Episyrphus balteatus, Sphaerophoria rueppellii, and Chrysoperla carnea, along with the parasitoids Aphidius colemani and Aphelinus abdominalis. This system helps maintain ecological balance in the greenhouse and control aphid populations.
In this way, Agrobío has positioned biological control as the most efficient and sustainable option for pest management in cucumber crops, allowing producers to improve crop yields while preserving plant health and fruit quality.
Tags: MONcontrol, ORIcontrol Cold, Powermite 3.0, SWIRScontrol