Biobest at IPM Essen: spotlight on a new beneficial

IPM Essen is a world leading trade fair for horticulture with heavy emphasis on ornamentals. Its 33rd edition – the largest ever - took place from January 27th to 30th and brought more than 1.600 exhibitors from 50 countries to Germany’s Ruhrgebiet. Obviously, as a major player in biological control, Biobest was well represented.

“Until last year, we shared a stand with one of our German distributors,” says Dirk Aerts, Biobest area manager for Western Europe. “This year we felt it was time for a full Biobest stand, especially since we had a lot of novelties in store for customers in Germany and beyond.”

Dirk continues: “We recently obtained authorization from the German authorities for our new beneficial, Dyna-Mite^® G-System. The scientific name of this predatory mite is Euseius gallicus. Many visitors to the fair grow flowers or ornamental plants. That’s exactly where this predatory mite is of particular interest.”

The presentation of Dyna-Mite^® G-System of course went hand in hand with putting Nutrimite™, another Biobest innovation, in the spotlight. Euseius gallicus responds extremely well to this naturally produced food supplement. Nutrimite™ and Dyna-Mite^® G-System, when used in combination, make for a new Dyna-Mite^® strategy: the establishment of a strong predatory mite army before the first pests arrive. The strategy has been first developed in roses, and is currently being fine-tuned in several other plant species.”

The standing army strategy, which leans on the combination of Nutrimite™ with a predatory mite that can feed and develop on pollen in the absence of pests, also works very well with  Amblyseius swirskii (for example in Gerbera). More effective biocontrol, at an attractive cost and with less labour.

Rendez-vous with Biobest at the next IPM Essen from 26th to 29th January 2016 for more exciting novelties in biocontrol.