Unstoppable biological control in the “orchard in Europe”
The Fruit and Vegetable Interprofessional Andalusia (HORTYFRUTA) is aware of the importance of biological control for horticulture under Andalusian coat this morning a “qualitative study on the use of biological control in greenhouse crops of the Almeria coast and Granada “made from June to September 2015. The study received financial support from the Andalusian Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
The conclusions of this report, that there have been a total of 1,145 surveys in 57 locations of Almería and Granada coast emphasize that mostly farmers Levante, Poniente Almeria and the Costa Tropical consider the use of control biological continue to grow.
To the question “do you think the use of biological control in the future will increase, decrease, it will be replaced by chemical control or is already established?” The results show that farmers are convinced that the use of biological control will continue to increase in the future. A fact that since the Interprofessional consider revealing because it shows the full involvement of the Andalusian producers in the use of this technique, and also reinforces the work done by the campaign HORTYFRUTA I Love Bugs, Our Green Revolution to promote the use of auxiliary fauna in greenhouses.
FIGURES by crops
The study was carried out on the product coverage of the Interprofessional, pepper, tomato, cucumber, eggplant, zucchini, melon and watermelon.
Tomato and pepper in almost all respondents (98%) cited that used the biological control throughout the culture. In the case of eggplant, 80% of farmers use biological control continuously. In watermelon, the use of biological control in the crop cycle exceeds 57%. In cucumber, the continued use of this technique does not exceed 50%. In the case of melon and zucchini, they are products where more farmers do not use biological control, with 53 and 67%, respectively.
Apart from the overall figures, the survey results provide valuable information on the strengths, but also on the improvable aspects of biological control. In winter, with low temperatures and when to fight fungal diseases, it is not always easy to keep working auxiliary fauna. Moreover, the appearance of “virus New Delhi,” especially in zucchini, has affected many farms and many farmers opt for other solutions. Another highlight is the importance they have gained some new pests, against which there is still no good solutions in biological control. Good examples are the Creontiades in pepper, like a caterpillar that had never been seen before, or Tuta absoluta in tomato.
In the “qualitative study on the use of biological control in greenhouse crops off the coast of Almeria and Granada” they have also been some further considerations on which to move forward in biological control aspects as president Francisco Gongora of HORTYFRUTA ” They are of vital importance “to work in that direction and make those difficulties that may arise are overcome. Gongora continues: “For the most relevant Interprofessional of this study is that the opinion of farmers is known for the first time in our agriculture regarding a subject that has marked a before and after in the Andalusian model of intensive production, which He has turned Almeria and Granada in a role at international level with its “Green Revolution”. Biological control has been a key to the future of the sector and the findings of this study we will guide future research in the biological control “piece.
During this season, the Inter will continue with I Love Bugs initiative, Our Green Revolution coordinating and strengthening communication with the producers of the need to further strengthen the use of integrated control.
Source: HORTYFRUTA
