• Cotton leafworm

  Europe including the Balearic Islands, Madeira and the Azores. Damage symptoms Most of the damage is caused by the older caterpillars which are voracious leaf [...] excrement protrudes from the holes they have produced. On tobacco, the stem base is often destroyed. On maize, the cotton leafworm ( Spodoptera littoralis [...] whitish yellow. They are laid in clusters of 20 to 500 pieces on lower leaf surfaces, often on the lower parts of the plant. The female covers the eggs with

• Damping-off

  Pythium aphanidermatum mostly occurs in young plants and damage is more extensive in young crops. Damage symptoms Pythium affects roots, in particular those [...] wounds, where the side roots are formed or through other similarly damaged spots. On the infected plant, new sporangia with zoospores are formed, that allow [...] ‘damping-off’, hence the name damping-off disease. In slightly older plants, the leaves lose their turgor or the leaf tips turn yellow, for example in flower bulbs

• The cost-saving potential of biological crop protection for your IPM strategy

  June 23, 2025

  These biocontrol agents can include predators (e.g., ladybugs feeding on aphids ), parasitoids (e.g., parasitic wasps targeting caterpillars ), and pathogens [...] of resources. A significant portion of the current research on biocontrol assessment relies on market data, such as crop yields, prices, and the costs associated [...] agents are a proven strategy for managing target species, decreasing reliance on pesticides, and improving ecosystem health. Economic methods including co

• Amblyseius swirskii

  cap to open the dosage hole Sprinkle material on leaves or pour into Diboxes Make sure the material remains on the introduction site for at least a few hours [...] Amblyseius swirskii preys on several other small organisms such as spider mites and tarsonemid mites. They can also feed on pollen, which is useful for [...] of egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and adult. Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves, often in the axil of veins. They are oval, white and are app

• Bugs

  are found as pests in agricultural crops. Bug damage Phytophagous bugs damage plants by puncturing leaves and growing points with their piercing-sucking [...] and puncture holes. The most obvious damage is the deformation of growing points. They also cause tissue damage and deformed growth as a result of toxic

• Botrytis: Ten must-knows

  March 26, 2025

  like: grey powder on leaves, flowers, fruit or the stem. The fungus penetrates the plant cells with a pollen tube, kills them, and feeds on the contents of [...] loves soft plant parts, such as soft fruit, petals, and lush leaves. Crops with firm leaves are much less attractive and are therefore at a lower risk. [...] can infect a wide variety of plants. If conditions are unfavourable, the damage can get out of hand. To avoid this, it’s important to know the following

• Neoseiulus cucumeris

  distribute Thripex Sprinkle material on leaves or put small heaps on rockwool slabs Make sure the material remains on the introduction site for at least [...] egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph and adult. Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves on leaf hairs or in the axils of main and side veins. They are oval [...] Neoseiulus cucumeris preys on several other small organisms such as spider mites and tarsonemid mites. They also feed on pollen, which is useful for instance

• Neoseiulus californicus

  open the dosage hole Carefully sprinkle material on leaves Make sure the material remains on the leaves for at least a few hours after introduction Can [...] adult females feed on all stages of Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) whereas the larvae feed mainly on eggs, and the nymphs on eggs, larvae and [...] present it will preferentially feed on them and the population development is much faster on a diet of spider mites than on other food sources. They can also

• Phytoseiulus persimilis

  register volatiles emitted by damaged plants. Phytoseiid mites have no eyes and therefore rely on volatiles released by damaged plants and their tactile sense [...] cap to open the dosage hole Sprinkle material on leaves or pour into Diboxes Make sure the material remains on the introduction site for at least a few hours [...] mites actively seek out and prey on the Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) . The predatory mite cannot feed on other prey. Feeding behaviour of

• Managing Caterpillar infestations in your greenhouse

  October 11, 2018

  them fly by day. Moths on the other hand are generally night flying and so less obvious, but their larvae cause more economic damage to plants than butterfly [...] horticultural crop production systems. Depending on the species, they chew irregular holes in plant leaves and flowers or entirely consume seedlings, young [...] depending on pest pressure. Change pheromone dispensers every four to six weeks. d. Chemical corrections Since caterpillars are typically the damaging stage