Melon and Watermelon

A successful melon crop? Choose biological pest control and pollination!

IPM makes the difference

Biological products are an essential aspect in the cultivation of today's (water)melon crops. But why, precisely, is it such a good idea to choose IPM or integrated crop protection?

• You help prevent pests and diseases from becoming resistant to chemical pest control methods.
• You comply with the strict regulations and meet the demands of the consumer.
• You choose residue-free methods and, therefore, produce healthier melons.
• You reduce the risk of yield losses.
• You reap a rich harvest by choosing IPM. How? You can count on increased cost-effectiveness and improved fruit quality to help optimise your competitive position. 

Biological pest control for (water) melon

Will you also take the step to implement biological strategies in your crops? If so, Biobest offers you a wide range of solutions that can be used safely at any time. You can utilise:

• a wide range of natural enemies, such as Swirskii-System, to control thrips and whitefly but also Phytoseiulus-System against spider mite, Aphidius-System to control aphids and Encarsia-System for (greenhouse) whitefly;
• the nutritional feed supplement Nutrimite™, which ensures that predatory mites, such as Swirskii-System, are working at full strength when an infestation occurs;
• pheromone traps and sticky traps, such as Bug-Scan^®, to monitor and scout pests in the crop;
• biological insecticides, such as PREFERAL^®, as an extra weapon in the control of whitefly or Delfin® against caterpillars;
• the thrips pheromone ThriPher to lure thrips out of their shelters.

Bumblebee pollination of (water)melon

Melons have both male and female flowers on the same plant. For pollination to occur, pollen must be brought from the male to the female flowers. As a grower, you count on insects to do this job.

But why are bumblebees your best bet; why will they make all the difference? The female flowers on the melon plant need many pollen granules to ensure good fruiting and high fruit quality. The bumblebees’ large, hairy bodies result in greater contact with the flowers, which makes them successful in bringing large quantities of pollen to the flower. The result? Well-pollinated flowers, reduced fruit drop and higher-quality fruit. Biobest is happy to help you achieve these results with its wide range of bumblebee hives.