Purpose of Guide
Successful biocontrolprograms are dependent on a number of factors, but good quality natural enemies are fundamental. However, as living organisms, biocontrolproducts are subject to variability caused by various factors, starting at the insectarywhere they are reared through to the crop where they are released. Production of biocontrolagents is a self-regulated industry and quality assessments by the end-users are important to provide producers with feedback and to maintain high quality products.Biocontrol suppliers are facing the challenge of producing a constant and reliable supply of high quality natural enemies. Therefore, quality control (QC) checks are done at the supplier level to make sure the products meet certain standards before they are shipped to the customer. However, it often takes several days before the products arrive at the grower and are released into the greenhouse. During this time, uncontrolled packaging, transport and storage conditions may affect the quality of the product and therefore the performance in pest control. Shipping is probably the most critical period. Temperature extremes, condensation from ice packs, restricted oxygen supply, unnatural high population densities and long shipping and storage times are some of the factors that can adversely affect quality. Therefore, growers should open packages upon arrival to provide a better environment for the biocontrolagents and to detect any potential problems related to shipping conditions (too warm, too cold, wet, bad smell).
In an ideal situation, growers would perform quality checks on every biocontrolproduct they receive as quality will directly impact efficacy; a shipment of poor-quality can result in failure to control the target pest. If a quality issue is detected the grower can react proactively, adjusting release rates accordingly.
Click here to view the Grower Guide (PDF).
For more information
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Rose Buitenhuis,PhD Research Scientist, Biological Control
T: +1 905-562-0320 x749
Email: [email protected]
www.vinelandresearch.com
