Viridaxis is a Belgian company, spin-off of the University of Louvain, specialized in the mass rearing of aphid parasitoids. In 2011, the company launched FresaProtect for the biological control of aphids in strawberries. The ready-to-use product is based on a simple concept. In order to control all commonly appearing aphid species on strawberries, Viridaxis developed a mix containing 6 species of parasitoids.
The advantage of this concept is that every species of aphid found in strawberries is controlled by different species of the mix allowing an excellent control of the aphids in different environmental conditions. The product can be used in all types of cropping systems under protection (rain shelter, polythene tunnels and heated or unheated glasshouse).
“Used in a preventive way, that is before aphids appear in the crop, FresaProtect provides an excellent control of all commonly appearing aphid species in strawberries” says Nicolas Dassonville, Product Performance Specialist at Viridaxis.
The other big advantage of the product is its ease of use. The parasitoids are supplied in a cardboard tube which must be disposed in the crop at the rate of 1 tube for 200 m². The honey drop in the lid of the tube provides a good energy source for the parasitoids increasing their lifespan and fecundity.
The product has been adopted all over Europe and is today recognized by the industry as being the optimal and efficient preventive solution for aphid control. FresaProtect is now used by many strawberry growers and all of them are fully satisfied with the product. Many user’s testimonials can be found on www.viridaxis.com.
Besides the products for aphid control in strawberries, Viridaxis developed four other mixes of parasitoids targeting aphids of other specific crops: BerryProtect for soft fruits BasilProtect for aromatic herbs, OrnaProtect for ornamental plants and VerdaProtect for vegetables. The Protect range is today the reference for an efficient natural aphid control.

For more information:
Viridaxis S.A.
T: +32 (0) 71 48 72 25