Biological pest control in greenhouses : an overview

Abstract EN

Biological pest control has been applied with commercial success for circa 20 years now in greenhouses.

Although it is a relatively new pest control method in this cropping system, the growers did readily accept and rely on it.

During the past 20 years 14 species of natural enemies have been introduced against 18 pest species.

Natural enemies in use are insect parasites, arthropod predators and pathogens.

Some 10 new species of natural enemies are in the process of being evaluated for future use.

The greenhouse area on which biological control is applied has increased from 400 ha in 1970 to almost 14,000 in 1991.

Most biological control occurs in vegetable crops.

In ornamentals a zero-tolerance for pest organisms or their injury creates a great barrier for use of natural enemies.

Biological pest control further made it possible that bumble bees and honey bees were used as pollinators for some important vegetable crops, particularly tomatoes.

Biological pest control is an economically profitable endeavour, especially for growers of greenhouse crops.

The rather fast evaluation and introduction of a number of natural enemies in situations where chemical control was either insufficient or impossible, has learned crop protection specialists that biological control, within IPM programmes, is a powerful option in pest control.