Biological control of thrips in protected STRAWBERRY production - Control biológico de trips en la producción de FRUTILLA (FRESA) bajo cubierta

Predatory mite Neosiulus cucumeris feeding on a thrip (http://www.biologicalservices.com.au)

The thrips Frankliniella occidentalis is a prioritary problematic in protected production of strawberry. A cross border program involved partners in the north of France and in Belgian Flanders and was conducted between 2012 and 2014. The aim was to develop integrated biological control. The study of the thrips population dynamics and of the damaging effect found that the pest population was able to develop early and strongly, particularly for repeat flowering varieties. Then, alternative control strategies were evaluated, strategies that are based on mass trapping, prophylactic measures and release of the predatory mites Neoseiulus cucumeris and Amblyseius swirskii. The results found that integrated biological control is an efficient and sustainable method, with possible increases in yields and a strongly decreased use of pesticides.
Source: Quennesson, S.; Dumortier, F.; Marez, T. de; Dahinger, V.; Petit, K.; Oste, S. 5th Conférence Internationale sur les Méthodes Alternatives de Protection des Plantes, 11-13 mars, 2015, Nouceau Sièle, Lille, France (http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20153416985.html).