Reducing pesticide use in protected strawberry crops. Commercial experience and grower trials to improve control of the glasshouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum

摘要

Biological Crop Protection Ltd. has developed an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme for the main pest species attacking protected strawberry crops. Uptake of this programme by commercial growers has resulted in reduced insecticide use and improved pest control. The glasshouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum, is an increasing problem in protected strawberry crops. In laboratory experiments, the starch polymer reduced all whitefly stages by over 95%. In a commercial crop, two treatments ofthe starch polymer resulted in 99% control when the plants were small and good leaf cover could be achieved, but only 55% control when the canopy was dense. Weekly releases of the parasitic wasp Encarsia formosa, once temperatures exceeded 15°C, reducedwhitefly numbers by 90% and prevented crop damage. Sulphur burning for the control of powdery mildew was restricted to two hours per night, and this was considered a key factor in the success of IPM.