Crops
Strawberry Crops main menu
Pests in strawberry
 
General
Scouting and Monitoring
Contact with beneficials
Chemical corrections
Spider mite
Thrips
Whitefly
Aphid
Black vine weevil
Mites
Caterpillars
General remarks on the biological control in strawberries
 
Before introducing beneficials, the greenhouse and plants should be free of harmful pesticide residues.
Before the beginning of your cultivation discuss with your advisor a plan of approach for the whole season.

 
Scouting and Monitoring
 
Use yellow Bug-Scan® sticky traps for (timely) detection of flying insects. During the heating of the greenhouse hang min. 20 yellow sticky traps per ha to detect the first flying insects.
Also use yellow Bug-Scan® sticky traps during the cultivation. Count and register during minimum the first 10 weeks of your cultivation the different species of flying insects which are captured on the sticky traps.

 
Contact with beneficials
 
Follow carefully the user's instructions; always pay attention to the icons on the packing. If necessary consult the Icon Guide.
Introduce beneficials preferably early in the morning.
If you want to store the beneficials for a short time, you have to reckon with the storage temperature and the use by date which are mentioned on the packing.

 
Chemical corrections
 
If a chemical correction has been inevitable, use as much as possible selective chemical crop protection products. Try to apply chemical corrections on local spots.
In case of doubt about the side effects of pesticides, contact your advisor or consult the Side Effects Manual which is available on www.biobest.be.

 
Biological control of spider mites
Phytoseiulus-System (predatory mite - Phytoseiulus persimilis)
 
Introduce minimum 6 Phytoseiulus/m² as soon as the first spider mite is detected. The exact amount depends on the severeness of the spider mite damage.

In and especially around hot spots: 20 to 40 Phytoseiulus/m².
Spread well in the working direction.
Feltiella-System (gall midge - Feltiella acarisuga)
 
In combination with Phytoseiulus at a spider mite damage.
Introduce locally 1 pot (250 pupae) during 4-6 weeks in hot spots.
Remark: The gall midges have an excellent ability to search, but they can become disorientated by frequent use of a sulphur steamer.
Californicus-System (predatory mite - Amblyseius californicus)
 
Introduce preventively 4-6 Amblyseius californicus/m² in the whole greenhouse. Repeat regularly (depending on the spider mite pressure), but at least every 3 weeks. Start with this introduction after the waiting period of the last chemical treatment, but certainly before the end of March.
This predatory mite can survive a few weeks without nourishment and is resisted against low temperatures in early spring.
Biological control of thrips
Amblyseius-Breeding-System (A.B.S.) (predatory mite - Amblyseius cucumeris in breeding sachets)
 
Hang blue sticky traps for the detection of thrips (min. 1 sticky trap/100 m²).
Introduce 1 sachet per 2 m². Repeat regularly (depending on the thrips pressure and the countings on the sticky traps) i.e. every 6 weeks or every 4 weeks. It also depends on the cultivation system (number of plants/m²).
Warning:
The products Amblyseius-Breeding-System (ABS) and Amblyseius-Slow-Release-System (ASR), which contain the predatory mite Amblyseius cucumeris delivered in breeding sachets, also contain Mold mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) and bran. Under certain circumstances such as a moist greenhouse climate or when using large quantities of breeding sachets, Mold mite population can increase to the point of causing damages in some crops (e.g. cucumbers). When planning to use these products in crops where they have never been used before, we recommend to first perform a small-scale trial or to discuss this with your Biobest advisor or supplier.
Amblyseius-System (predatory mite - Amblyseius cucumeris)
 
Disperse 100 Amblyseius cucumeris/m²/week in thrips hot spots or on spots which are sensitive to thrips to support. When no ABS-sachets are used than disperse 250 predatory mites/m²/week.
Warning:
The products Amblyseius-Breeding-System (ABS) and Amblyseius-Slow-Release-System (ASR), which contain the predatory mite Amblyseius cucumeris delivered in breeding sachets, also contain Mold mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) and bran. Under certain circumstances such as a moist greenhouse climate or when using large quantities of breeding sachets, Mold mite population can increase to the point of causing damages in some crops (e.g. cucumbers). When planning to use these products in crops where they have never been used before, we recommend to first perform a small-scale trial or to discuss this with your Biobest advisor or supplier.
Orius-System (predatory bug - Orius spp.)
 
Disperse locally Orius species in hot spots to control thrips quickly.
Biological control of whitefly
Encarsia-System (parasitic wasp - Encarsia formosa)
 
Available in tubes and on cards.
Preventive: Introduce 1,5 Encarsia/m² per week.
Curative: Introduce after whitefly is detected in the crop, weekly min. 3 Encarsia/m² until a sufficient number of whiteflies are parasitized (80 - 90%).
In hot spots: introduce 5-10 Encarsia/m² per week until an equilibrium is reached.
Biological control of aphids
Aphidius-System (parasitic wasp Aphidius colemani)
 
Preventive: Introduce 0,1 Aphidius colemani/m² per week
Curative: After detection of aphids: introduce minimum 0,5 Aphidius colemani/m² per week, during 3 weeks; until a sufficient number is parasitized.
Disperse Aphidius in Bio-Boxes (± 25 boxes/ha).
Ervi-M-System (parasitic wasp - Aphidius ervi)
 
Introduce Aphidius ervi as Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Potato aphid) or Aulacorthum solani (Glasshouse potato aphid) occur.

Introduce 2 Aphidius/m² in and around hot spots.
Aphelinus-System (gall midge - Aphelinus abdominalis)

Introduce Aphelinus abdominalis as Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Potato aphid) or Aulacorthum solani (Glasshouse potato aphid) occur.

Introduce 2 Aphelinus/m² in and around hot spots.
 
Aphidoletes-System (gall midge - Aphidoletes aphidimyza)

Preventive: Introduce 0,1-0,2 Aphidoletes/m²/week

Curative: When aphids are detected in the crop, introduce 0,5-1 Aphidoletes/m²/week
Open the bottle and place this bottle under the aphid hot spot, or disperse Aphidoletes, in heaps, on a moist substrate.
Remark: The gall midges have an excellent ability to search, but they can become disorientated by frequent use of a sulphur steamer.
 
Adalia-System (larvae of Adalia bipunctata)
 
Introduce 50-100 Adalia-larvae/m² in the immediate neighbourhood of aphid hot spots, as an addition to Aphidius and Aphidoletes.
Biological control of black vine weevil
  During 2 periods in the year larvae of the black vine weevil occur in open air which can be controlled with nematodes. In the greenhouse a control can be done during the whole year if larvae are present and the soil temperature is minimum 12°C.
Heterorhabditis-System (insect parasitic nematodes - Heterorhabditis megidis packed per 50 million)
 
Use at small damage of black vine weevil larvae, 0,5 million nematodes/m².
At a severe damage the dose has to be increased to 1 million nematodes/m².

 
Biological control of strawberry mites
Amblyseius-Breeding-System (A.B.S.) (predatory mite - Amblyseius cucumeris)
 

Start when there is sufficient regrowth after the plantation:
Biological control of caterpillars
  Attract® Pheromone traps
 
Hang 2 big catch lamps per ha above the crop, to catch as many moths as possible.

Hang minimum 2 Attract® pheromone lures per ha.

  • Hang the Attract® pheromone lures minimum 50 m from each other to prevent a mixture of the pheromones.
  • Replace the pheromone capsules regularly (every 4 weeks).
   
 

 

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