Becky Durkin of Royal Brinkman advises Littywood Farm on biological crop protection. Becky visits them every two weeks throughout the season, where they closely monitor how the predators establish in combination with the pest pressure. It’s particularly important to stay on top of things, as sometimes pressure suddenly go up and you have to react quickly. Gabriel and Becky discuss the action plan every two weeks, more regularly if required. They discuss the pests and diseases seen and how to deal best with them.
At Littywood Farm, they use two types of natural predators for the biological control of thrips, predatory mites and insects. They start with the predatory mite Cucumeris, a natural predator against thrips. This tiny predatory mite is used preventively and feeds on the eggs and first instar. They also use the predatory insect Orius Cold. Orius is effective on both larvea and adult thrips. Orius comes in 2 types, standard Orius and Orius Cold which is especially active at lower temperatures, therefore it's very useful for the early tunnels at Littywood Farm.
"You have to react quickly.”
- Crop protection specialist, Becky Durkin, Royal Brinkman UK -