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

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

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri is a species of beetle belonging to the family Coccinellidae. The beneficial insect is a small but highly effective predator [...] under these conditions. At a temperature of 21°C, during the whole period of its development to adult beetle, a larva eats more than 25 second and third [...] beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri , the mealybug destroyer, when using this predatory beetle as a pest control agent by observing their unique characteristics

Grower Koen - Embracing biological crop protection in agriculture

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

Potato aphid

Potato 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 [...] asexual, the young aphids are born as developed nymphs. They immediately start to feed on plant sap and grow rapidly. When reproduction is sexual, the aphids [...] but is these days distributed throughout the world. It is a highly polyphagous species with a preference for Solanaceae (particularly potato), but has also

Green peach aphid

of adults and a great variety in colour. When reproduction is asexual, the young aphids are born as developed nymphs. They immediately start to feed on plant [...] native, however it is now a pest with a world-wide distribution. The green peach aphid ( Myzus persicae subsp. persicae ) is a particularly polyphagous [...] glossy. Winged individuals have a brown-black head and thorax and a yellow-green to green or even reddish abdomen. They have a dark brown spot on the abdomen

Phytoseiulus persimilis

deposited close to, or in a spider mite colony. They are approximately twice the size of spider mite eggs and a transparent light pink when freshly laid, turning [...] density and should always be adjusted to the particular situation. Start introduction as soon as the first pest mites are detected in the crop. Introduction rates [...] only feed on smaller prey stages. The larvae do not eat. They develop quickly to protonymph and then start to feed on spider mites. The quantity of prey consumed

Tomato leaf miner

plants can be completely destroyed as a result of the direct damage caused by leaf miners. Indirect damage arises when disease causing fungi or bacteria [...] are transparent white, older larvae have a yellow head. When the larva hatches from the egg, it begins to eat into the leaf at once, tunnelling down into [...] emerges from its tunnel just prior to pupating, is known as a prepupa. This stage lasts only a few hours.

Aphidius colemani

spins a cocoon inside the aphid cuticle, causing it to swell. The cuticle turns from a hard, leathery brown to a golden yellow casing, known as a mummy [...] than the wings, and is black with dark brown legs. A female has a more pointed abdomen that is as long as the wings, is equipped with an ovipositor, and is [...] if an aphid is parasitized in a younger stage there will be no reproduction. A male wasp has slightly longer antennae, a rounded abdomen that is shorter

Codling moth

towards the core and eats a large proportion of the flesh, leaving behind brown frass. The entry point is then greatly enlarged as the tissue beneath is [...] are about 1.3 x 1.0 mm, and whitish opalescent when laid. Later, the developing embryo is visible as a red ring. The larvae are up to 20 mm long, initially [...] appearance of Codling moth The adults have a wing span of 15-22 mm, blackish-brown forewings, suffused with ash-grey and a large, metallic, bronzy black ocellus