
New predatory bug limits establishment of Nesi in tomato
Researchers have found three species of predatory bug in the Miridae family that can limit the establishment of the harmful predatory bug Nesidiocoris tenuis

Rhizoctonia
Rhizoctonia solani is a soil fungus with a wide host range and worldwide distribution. Host plants include almost all vegetables, flowers, shrubs and trees.

Switchable optical filters: the future of greenhouse covering materials?
One of the main tasks of the Smart Materials project was completed last year. Greenhouse simulation models were used to explore the potential effect

Spread of plant viruses calls for vigilance
Viruses are among the smallest pathogens infecting other living organisms. Plants are also susceptible to a large number of viruses that can cause serious

Crop protection products much more effective with adjuvants
Crop protection products are sometimes unfairly labelled as losing their efficacy against pests or diseases. On closer investigation it becomes clear that these products

Mycosphaerella
The fungus Mycosphaerella, also known as Didymella bryoniae, can cause serious problems, particularly in cucumber cultivation. It can infect leaves, stems, flowers and fruits.

“Hygiene protocol and resistant varieties go hand-in-hand”
As a cucumber grower you have to have iron discipline and nerves of steel. An apparently invisible enemy – CGMMV – is always lurking

Prey diets greatly improve biological control by predatory mites
Predatory mites are the most important natural enemies used for biological pest control in greenhouse horticulture. Many of these predatory mites are mass-reared on

“It works, but you need discipline to succeed”
Thrips are one of the biggest threats chrysanthemum growers face. But this hasn’t put off River Flowers in the central Dutch town of Zaltbommel:

More measuring and timely tweaks keep pH and crop in balance
Growing media must allow plants to develop healthily all the way from the potting area to the living room. The correct acidity or alkalinity

“Film over the top of the pot does nothing but good”
Dutch Rhododendron grower Frans Kortenhorst was looking for a way to get rid of weeds and moss in his pots for good. He cut

Monitoring system for spider mite damage and yellow sticky traps
Pest monitoring forms the basis of good biological control. Knowledge of the ratio of harmful and beneficial insects is indispensable in determining the necessary

Researchers make breakthrough in thrips control in chrysanthemum
The predatory bug Orius has been used to control thrips in sweet pepper for many years with great success, but the results have so

‘Before the problem starts, build up a vigorous predator population’
Supplementary feeding of predatory mites with a pollen preparation has outgrown the trial phase. A large number of growers is successfully using this method.

Fungi and bacteria boost resistance to pests and diseases
More and more research is revealing that endophytes – microorganisms that live in the plant without harming it – can significantly boost a plant’s

Penicillium
Penicillium chrysogenum is a beneficial fungus whose Latin name means “painter’s brush”, after the shape of the branched hyphae bearing rows of black/grey spores.

Royal Award for the management of Koppert Biological Systems
The management of Koppert Biological Systems received a Royal Award on 15 September. Paul Koppert and Henri Oosthoek received the award from mayor Pieter

Tomato spurs caterpillars to cannibalism
A tomato that has optimised its defence mechanism against insects will not only suffer less damage from caterpillars, but will also incite caterpillars to

Controlling Echinothrips americanus with predatory mites and bugs
As every grower knows, thrips are a huge problem in ornamentals grown under glass. The usual suspect is the Californian thrips, a species with

Growers alarmed by outbreaks of Bemisia and tomato russet mite
Several growing areas in the Netherlands and Belgium had to contend with them last year: Bemisia tabaci and tomato russet mite. These two pests