New Developments in Biocontrol
‘Summary of the HTA Grower Technical Workshop: ‘New developments in biological pest control’
New developments to improve the robustness of biological pest control on ornamental crops and reduce monitoring and application times
The spectrum of control agents offered by the various biological pest control companies increases year on year, with recent emphasis of new polyphagous biocontrol agents and methods to improve agent establishment early in the season. However, the labour and management costs associated with maintaining biocontrol programmes are still more relative to conventional control programmes based on plant protection products. Recent developments have therefore focused on automating sticky trap and pest monitoring, presenting large amounts of trapping data succinctly to supervisors and growers for their action, and reducing the time spent applying microbiological agents to crops.
Developments demonstrated
The developments demonstrated at the workshop fell into five main categories. New microbiological agents which are both polyphagous in their prey range and more predacious than current options. Sustenance which can be applied to crops to provide a food source at the start of the season when prey numbers are low to help biocontrol agents establish. Increasing the efficiency of counting pest numbers on traps and pest number collection, either via mobile phone cameras, via a built-in camera in front of each trap or via hardware designed to record flying insect activity. Consolidating and improving the interpretation and display of trap data via purpose designed dashboards. Reducing the time spent applying microbiological agents into crops, either via strip release sachet systems containing two species of predatory mite, a user-friendly air assisted applicator to apply mite agents in bran, or a novel system of using a modified powered mist blower to apply Phytoseiulus in a liquid formulation onto crops (see the presentations for more information on each).
Trap Eye
PATS System
Truepest Traps
Truepest Platform
Natutec Airobreez
SPRAYVENT
SPRAYVENT Mite Solution
Mini Exhibition Area
Presentations and Handout
New Developments in Biocontrol Workshop – New Macro-Biological Species for Biocontrol, and Supplementary Feeding Using ‘Nutrimite’
A presentation by Biobest UK summarising the new macro-biological control agents offered, and supplementary feeding using Nutrimite.
New Developments in Biocontrol Workshop – New Methods for the Efficient Introduction of Biocontrol Agents
A presentation by Bioline Agrosciences covering Bugline, Gemini Duo, and SPRAYVENT.
New Developments in Biocontrol Workshop – Natutec Airobreez – New Hand-Held Release System
A presentation by Koppert UK focusing on the Natutec Airobreez applicator.
New Developments in Biocontrol Workshop – TruePest, an AI Driven Smart Monitoring Ecosystem for Thrips and Whitefly, and ‘Push-Pull’ IPM Techniques for the Control of Thrips
A presentation by the Russell IPM Group covering TruePest, and push-pull IPM techniques for thrips control.
New Developments in Biocontrol Workshop – Where Next with Biological Pest Control?
A presentation summarising the impact of the recently released UK National Action Plan for pesticides.
New Developments in Biocontrol Workshop – Handout
The handout collating all the presentations from the ‘New developments in biological pest control’ workshop.