Tomato and Cherry tomato

For successful tomato crops, biological pest control and bumblebees are essential

IPM makes the difference

Biological products are an essential aspect in the cultivation of today's tomato 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 tomatoes.
• 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 tomatoes

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 Phytoseiulus-System to control spider mites but also Macrolophus-System against whitefly and Tuta absoluta or Aphidoletes-System for the control of aphids;
• the nutritional supplements Nutrimac™ and Artemac™, which ensure that predatory insects − such Macrolophus-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;
• the disorienting sex pheromone Isonet^® T to control the adult forms of Tuta absoluta;
• biological insecticides, such as PREFERAL^®, as an extra weapon in the control of whitefly or Delfin^® WG against caterpillars;
• biological fungicides, such as ASPERELLO^® T34 Biocontrol®, which protects your plants from pathogenic fungi in the roots, or Prestop^®, which protects the parts of the plant above the ground;
• the preventive vaccine PMV^®-01 for the control of Pepino Mozaic Virus;
• the natural product Bluestim^® which protects fruit against blossom-end rot and cracking.

Bumblebee pollination of tomatoes

Nowadays, growers throughout the world use standard bumblebees for the pollination of protected tomatoes. Why are bumblebees such good pollinators? To ensure good pollination of your tomatoes, it is essential the flowers vibrate. Bumblebees can make their bodies vibrate, which loosens the pollen from the flowers. As a result, these natural pollinators save you work while improving the quality and yield. Biobest has a wide range of bumblebee hives to meet your specific needs. We even have a specially designed artificial lighting hive for crops grown under artificial lights.

Did you know that...

… the year-round cultivation of tomatoes is becoming more intensive and more high-tech due to continuous consumer demand? Just look at the crops grown under artificial lighting.